Numb, Pain, or Healing?
by Jedi Ani Unduli
Summary: A Padawan gets badly abused by her Master, but is there someone who can help her with her pain? If ya like it, review, por favor/please!
1. Chapter 1 Hurt

_As you know, my good readers, this is merely just another fanfic of mine. Hate it, slash it._

_Disclaimer: Don't own any characters except the foreign ones. I really do like Barriss, Luminara, etc. etc..._

Her body tensed as she sensed her Master, Kalla Pollo, coming around the last corner to the training room

Her body tensed as she sensed her Master, Kalla Pollo (kalla poyo), coming around the last corner to the training room. She had prepared herself mentally and physically for this earlier. Her Master was a hard woman, tough in every aspect, considered one of the best at the Temple. She was respected as one of the best Jedi Masters of the whole bunch. She, however, had only one tiny little problem that only her Padawan knew about: giving way into frustration and anger, which ended up, more often than not, with her beating her Padawan near to death. She, as Master Pollo's obedient Padawan (not that she had any choice!), would put up with the torture, not crying out in the slightest. Once her Master was done, she'd go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, sneak through an opening behind the climbing rose vines & into the room tucked behind the towering vines. So far, no one except a select few apprentices, initiates, and workers knew about it.

"Are you ready, Ani?" Kalla's voice, edged with a bit of contempt at her, she felt certain, asked her.

"Yes, my Master," she replied softly, getting out her twin lightsabers, a specialty that rarely occurred, if ever. She used one blade to parry and distract while the other was used to sneak up on her Master, to catch her by surprise. However, Master Pollo sensed it in time and used it to Force-knock Ani into the wall behind her, and then into the racks, into the wall over and over again, and onto the floor.

"Get up, sluggard," she hissed as Ani regained her footing, bruises on both arms and legs.

"I'm sorry, Master," she said blankly, using the Force to numb her pain and to help her to not feel anymore. She dogged the orange blade and used some quick footwork to send her Master stumbling on her own feet, while she swung up to grab a support railing, the lowest suspended from the ceiling. She hung in midair for a moment, and then let herself drop silently towards her Master, who raised her lightsaber in time to block Ani's parry. The latter quickly copied a Vaapad maneuver, which managed to unseat her Master, who landed heavily on the floor. Soon, they were done. Kalla had made her Padawan lose her footing, and was now about to beat her, though not as hard as other nights, for which Ani was grateful.

'swish' "I don't know" 'thwack' "how many times" 'slam' "I told you to NOT LOSE YOUR FOOTING!"

"But Master," Ani protested, avoiding the belt with a twist of her flexible body, "I used a Vaapad maneuver. Surely that would be good enough for you." Instantly, she regretted her words as that brought a painful smash up against the wall, opening a gash in her forehead.

"_Never_ contradict me, Padawan," hissed Kalla venomously.

"Y-yes Master Pollo," Ani stuttered, picking herself up from the cold floor only to fall again as her Master sliced a part of her leg open. Concentrating on the Force, she kept the cauterized wound closed long enough to run from the room, close to tears. She heard Kalla's voice yelling, "Come back here, Padawan!" but on she ran till she came to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, parted the vines and climbed on through. She closed them so that she could see others, but they couldn't see her. Ani brought the Force to her entire body as she lay on the soft moss-grass, healing every single injury so that the teachers and instructors wouldn't notice and ask. It was embarrassing for that to happen; it had happened several times in the past, and she wasn't willing for it to happen again, unless she wanted to nearly die by another beating. She relaxed her grip on the Force now; she was healed to the last bruise, and could now relax and get some rest. She lay there for some time, breathing slowly and evenly, until she sensed another person near her.

"Who are you?" she demanded leapign up, only to crash back down.

"Hello, Ani." The shadows seemed to move as Ani gasped. There, sitting cross-legged on the soft grass was Barriss Offee.

_Dunh dunh dunnnnnnnnnnnnhhhhhhh. What's going to happen next? Next chapter up by next week (perhaps earlier). Review, por favor._


	2. Chapter 2 The Argument

"Master Offee?!" Ani exclaimed, using her arms to try and push her away from the faintly smiling Jedi Master. "Why are you here?" The tattooed Jedi Knight sighed and motioned for her to come closer.

"Why am I here? I hoped to get some peace and quiet," Barriss said quietly, running her fingers through her long blue hair. She grinned at the gaping young apprentice. "But, unfortunately when you stumbled on through, bleeding from every place possible, my meditation was disrupted." Concerned, she reached for Ani, grabbed her arm, and hugged her close to her own body. "What's wrong, Ani?" she asked, brushing the yellow hair out of her pale face.

"Nothing." Ani said, trying to pull away, but Barriss' grip remained true.

"Youngling, I should know what's happening; I am after all a Healer. Tell me why a healthy, normal teenager should be going into the most secretive rooms at the dead of night, bleeding profusely and sobbing. Why, Ani?" Ani stared back at her, insolently.

"Why is an esteemed Jedi Knight here? Besides for the meditation."

"Weeeeelllll, it's also because I wanted to try and solve an argument that I have with my former Master." Ani's eyes opened wide, obviously in adoration, no matter how hard she'd tried to hide it.

"The flexible, one-of-a-kind Master Luminara Unduli?" she asked.

"The one and only," Barriss said, stifling a sigh. Surprisingly, she felt the young girl extinguish her emotions and lay her head down on the grass.

"Tell me about it," she heard Ani say. Barriss, wondering whether or not this could help her or not, began to tell her about the argument that was threatening her relationship with her former Master

_Previously_

Barriss was looking out, as far as she could see, over the city-planet of Coruscant from one of the porches there as she half-heard Master Luminara Unduli, one of the greatest swordswomen in the Order, ask her about what she'd do now that she was no longer a Padawan.

"Well," she said, pausing to sniff at some orchids full in bloom, "I think I'm going to choose a Padawan, perhaps one of the kids that had come from the Underworld. I really liked what I saw in that Teevanian girl, Julii. She's smart, strong, athletic, and, like all other Teevanians, has flexible arms." She saw Luminara's eyes widen, and an eyebrow go up. _Oh no,_ she thought, mentally bracing herself._ Here it comes, another stern lecture. Come on, I'm barely a Knight for two days, and she has to give me a _lecture_?!_

"Barriss," her former Master began, "I don't think that you are quite ready to have a Padawan yet."

"Luminara," Barriss resounded, "no disrespect meant here, but I feel the Force guiding me to take a Padawan. I feel it…calling me. I must act on my feelings, like you and other Jedi Masters have taught me. I must do this." Then, on an impulse, she added, "Why don't you take on another Padawan, Master Unduli." The elder's eyes glinted dangerously as Barriss, knowing of the danger ahead, continued her banter. "I think you'd pair up well with Ani, you know: the half-Mirialan half-human girl. I can just feel the Force connecting you two, and – "

"Shut up, Barriss," Luminara hissed, now close to overboiling. "I _do not want_ another Padawan. I do not care for another Padawan. I don't care if it takes the Council to match me up with one, I will not take another Padawan." Barriss sighed.

"So even if others sense that you are near to Ani, you still won't take her?" she asked quietly. She saw Luminara struggle to hold her anger in, and took that as a challenge. "I know that Master Pollo is thinking on taking her on," she responded quietly. The thunder flashed as Luminara Unduli stormed on inside the Temple, to her own quarters.

_Back to Present_

Barriss managed to keep a smooth mask on her emotions as she concluded the tale. "After she went inside, I tried to apologize to her, but she said frostily, 'If you are truly sorry, you won't speak of Ani again.' I don't know, Ani; what should I do?" She turned to Ani, who stared up at the ceiling. "For one," she began as she got up, "you should apologize to her for what you said, even if it was true. Secondly, don't speak of me to her again," here she went to the edge, pulled back the thorns and peeked out, starting to go on through, "for I already have a Master." She smiled sadly, and before Barriss could call her back, she had disappeared into the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3 Stirrings

_Yep...you guessed it. I'm doing a fix-my-stories-up type of marathon, so hope you don't mind!_

_Disclaimer: So not mine, so don't you dare sue!_

Ani ran down the hall as she felt, rather than heard, her master calling her through their Force bond. Even though Master Pollo was cruel and didn't really like her, they had an indescribable bond. No matter how hard she beat her, she still felt a sense of loyalty to Kalla, and she knew that her loyalty would one day soon get her into trouble. Continuing her run, not feeling the slightest breathless (her hard training had finally paid off), she slid to a stop in front of their room, waved her hand, and the door opened. Hurried, she rushed inside, to find Master Pollo sitting on a couch in front of the holotv.

"You're late, Padawan." Ani blanched; she had hoped that her master would have overlooked the time factor.

"Sorry, Master, I was just…resting."

"Rest in your quarters, next time. We don't want to have the Council on us again, _do_ we?" Ani sighed.

"No Master."

"Good, now go to bed. Tomorrow, classes start up again at oh-eight-hundred, so get up early so that you can make breakfast."

"Yes, Master." Ani bowed. Turning, she made straight for her room, shut and locked the door using a foreign code, and lay upon her body, ignoring the sharp pain shooting throughout her body. Sighing, she lay on her back, only to shift to her right side. _Crap, it still hurts. However, I very well cannot heal myself right now, as my master will get suspicious, and I need to get my rest._ _Tomorrow will be one of the longest days in the history of the galaxy, if my master gets her way._

07h00

"Padawan," Kalla said sharply, pounding on the durasteel door, quivering with impatience. It opened suddenly, to reveal her fully dressed padawan, showered, dressed and having her book bag slung over one shoulder, diagonally.

"I'm up Master," Ani said evenly, flipping over her Master to land in the small kitchenette.

"Why'd you take so long?" grumbled the irritable Jedi Master, grabbing a seat as her Padawan began to make an omelet.

"Master, would it be so bad to eat in the cafetina for once?"

"Perhaps not, but you need to keep practicing your cooking." She sniffed the air. "Smells good, however," she said stiffly. "What are you doing today?"

"I don't know, but once I'm done with the meal, I'll go and –"

"NO, not until you finish the dishes." She glared at her, hoping that would quickly curb her young one's eagerness and impatience.

"Yes, Master," Ani said in a subdued tone. She quickly shoved the omelet in her mouth, chewed and swallowed, and started on the dishes. Kalla looked at the slender girl, and wondered why the Force gave her a beautiful but untalented padawan.

07h30

"Ani!" cried Scout, running up to her. Ani turned around, glad that she had her friends to make it through another grueling day of classes and homework.

"Hi, Scout; what's up?"

"We're going to tour Coruscant today for history class during 4th set. We'll see the Senators in action, see the private museum, and even get to meet the Supreme Chancellor! Plus, we get to miss out on fourth set. That's when I've got Astromath."

"Scout, that's when I got a sparring session with Master Jorus C'baoth."

"Come on; it won't kill you to ask your master if you can go, will it?" _It may do just that,_ Ani thought, stifling a sigh. _Still, perhaps Master Pollo will be in a sort-of-a-nice mood to ask._

"I'll ask her."

"Great; I'll go tell Master Fokula that you're coming."

Ani yelled after her, "It's not specified yet, Scout!" It was too late; Scout was too far away for her to hear what Ani had said. She sighed, and turned around to go find her Master. Moments later, she found Master Kalla sitting at a corner table, munching on a piece of dried corn muffin.

"Uh…Master, there's something I'd like to ask of you."

"Great. What is it?" _There goes trying to get her in a good mood,_ Ani thought, stifling another sigh/snort.

"Well, Master; this afternoon during fourth set my history class will be going to tour Coruscant to study politics, how Coruscant became the capital planet, etc. Anyways, I was wondering – can I go?"

"Isn't that during your sparring session with Master Jorus C'baoth?"

"Master, I get to go against people twice my age this afternoon during practice. That's an hour and a half."

"You'd still be missing fourth, fifth, and sixth set, correct? I mean, you'll be eating lunch out there during the tour, and continuing for a while after that. I'm not sure if it's worth it. You are, after all, a Padawan from the Underworld, where education is important."

"So is having fun!" Ani retorted, trying unsuccessfully to hold back down her anger. Fortunately, she did so. "Master, whenever I miss a class, I've almost always had to make up for it. This way, I get to go with my history class, and I'll practice hard tonight."

"How hard?" Kalla asked skeptically.

"I'll practice for four hours straight. I'll do all the stretches, exercises, and moves you taught me." A woman dressed in dark black robes passing by gave them a curious glance that Kalla & her Padawan both saw, but ignored.

"Do you swear that you will do so?" Kalla's voice was cutting edge.

"If I do that plus the workout for today, it'll be five hours," Ani replied solemnly. "Yes; I swear I'll do so."

"Fine." Kalla's voice sounded grudging. "But I'll check to make sure you _do_ it, got it?"

"Yes, Master." Ani skipped off to join Scout and Julii at the other end. "Master says I can go," she whispered happily.

"Yes," Julii said happily, grabbing Ani's arm, where a particularly big bruise was sitting. Ani winced.

"Okay, you can stop now, Julii," she said, rubbing her arm. "Hey, who's that woman in the dark clothes sitting next to Master Ti over there?" Quietly, she hoped that they would take the bait, so as not to ask about her weird behavior (there was no way that she would admit to being beaten, especially to her friends). Thankfully, they did.

"Oh, that's Master Luminara Unduli," Julii sang out, continuing to yank on Ani's arm. "Her Padawan just got knighted, Barriss Offee. I hope to be chosen by her soon. Come on; let's go tell Master Fokula and sign-up, or we'll be late to first class!" With that, they hurried off towards the history teacher and their growing group, Ani's curiosity about Luminara quite diminished.

_Well, what did you think? You like, you don't like - review in either case, please!_


	4. Chapter 4 Curiosity

Once they got back, Ani was chattering animatedly with her friends.

"I can't believe we actually got to see the private museum," gushed Scout, pushing back her long, red hair to put it into a type of bun that the Vorzyd V's were so famous for.

"Yeah, well at least I was able to miss out on my Astromath test," Julii said, looking extremely pleased.

"You hypocrite!" Ani exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her best friend. "You say how much you like Astromath, and yet you ditch it at the first opportune moment you get!" Julii shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey, everyone needs a break," she defended, grinning.

"Come on," Scout said, breaking into a run. "We've got to get our books quick so we don't miss out on 7th set."

"Good point," Julii confessed, running towards her room. "Hurry up, Ani. You have yet to do those five hours of practice requested via Master 'Chicken'."

"Hey," Ani scolded. "It wasn't Master Pollo's fault that she was named that!"

"Perhaps," Julii said, looking over her shoulder at her friend, "but perhaps you should start running so that you won't be late." Ani started and went in the opposite direction, towards her quarters.

09h30

"She's good," Luminara said, watching as Ani battled an 18-year old kid, with her special twin lightsabers.

"Yes, do you know her name's Ani? She's one of the best kids in the lightsaber training class. Her Master is Master Kalla Pollo, who's as tough as hell when it comes to her training. She's great at almost all her classes, minus cartography and topography," replied Barriss innocently. Luminara eyes still were focused on Ani when Julii ran up to Barriss.

"Master, Master," she cried, "When will I get to move in with you?"

"Tomorrow, my Padawan," Barriss replied lovingly, gently replacing the windswept braid. She then turned to face Luminara, who faced her with reluctance. "I have recently informed the Council that I have a new Padawan," Barriss declared proudly, draping one arm over Julii's shoulder.

"I didn't realize that it was so soon," Luminara commented dryly.

"Well, I got tired of waiting to see if she'd get chosen yet, so I'd have a right to fight over her; finally, I just up and chose her," Barriss concluded, grinning. "Don't worry, Julii; the Council has sanctioned my decision, so we're cool."

"Cool!" exclaimed Julii, giving her Master another hug before running off. "See ya Master! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Julii," Barriss chuckled as Julii ran with all she had, not wanting to get penalized. Then, turning to Luminara, she said, "Hey, we probably should turn in also."

Luminara nodded, not wanting to take her eyes off of Ani, who had won, but curiously was going to the training room.

"I'll come in a moment," she said brusquely, and ignoring Barriss' funny looks, she went down the opposite set of stairs, heading towards the room where Ani was last seen entering.


	5. Chapter 5 Visitations

_Okay...sorry that this has taken so long to come out. I have had semester tests, school dance, camping, clean-up, and limited computer access to top it off. Also, I went to a friend's graduation party. I hope I can continue to write and update, it basically depends when I have time._

_Disclaimer: ALL apply here, minus for the characters I have made up._

As Luminara walked on in, she noticed Ani fighting nine probe droids all at once, slowly but gradually disarming them and returning them to their racks. After that, barely breathing, she did some stretches that Luminara even winced at. _Well, Barriss did say that she had a hard master,_ she thought, continuing to watch Ani work out, _but I didn't even realize the measures, stretches, moves, and levels she was being put to!_ Suddenly, she noticed that Ani was staring at her, all while stretching her legs and doing her homework.

"What is Luminara Unduli, one of the Order's famed Masters, doing in here, watching an already-chosen Padawan?" she asked sarcastically.

"Tonight I have a meeting with your Master," Luminara said formally. "She also asked me to watch your practice…um, why aren't you done yet?"

"It was the agreement," Ani said, running up the walls and falling back down on the floor. "If I did five-and-a-half hours of practice I could go with my history class to visit Coruscant."

"Why?"

"I had to."

"You could have cut down the time."

"All it would've done would be giving me twice as many hours."

"What hour are you on, currently?"

"Hour number 4 and-a-half."

"So…you have one more hour, huh?"

"Yep, I'm used to it so don't worry. Besides," here she glanced sideways at Luminara, "you shouldn't. You're not my Master."

"Fine," Luminara replied stiffly. She watched silently as Ani continued her practice, letting herself get hit or 'accidentally' hitting herself on something or falling hard. Soon, she was done.

"Come on, please hurry up," she pleaded, though her face was emotionless, to Luminara. "If I'm late at all, Master'll kill me!"

"What will happen, Padawan?" Kalla asked with a false pleasantness, meeting her at the door. Luminara thought she saw Ani swallowed hard before answering, "Nothing, Master. Nothing at all."

"Exactly, Padawan," Kalla continued, opening the door wider so they could go on through. "Now, go prepare dinner while Master Unduli and I talk." Ani bowed.

"Yes Master," she murmured, and quickly strode into the kitchen. Luminara stared after her in amazement.

"Shall we begin, Master Unduli?" Kalla asked.

"Yes, Master Pollo," Luminara replied, as a pair of doors cut the living room off from the rest of the apartment.

The conversation lasted for little over an hour. After Kalla had politely inquired to whether or not Luminara would take another Padawan, and while Luminara was thinking up an answer, a timid beep sounded over the intercom.

"Yes, Padawan, what the heck is it?" Kalla snarled slightly. Luminara raised an eyebrow at the harsh-sounding question.

"Dinner's ready, Master," Ani's quiet voice barely filled the room, yet Luminara could hear it.

"About time," Master Pollo grumbled, opening the doors and motioning for Luminara to follow her. She just had to follow her nose (and an irate Master) to the dining room. There, on the table, were two glasses, with a not-so-strong wine and some noodles with cheese on them. "One of my favorite dishes," Kalla smiled, sitting down in a chair and motioning Luminara to do the same. She noticed that Ani had not set a third place.

"Why – "

"It's something strange she does, don't worry," Kalla said, grinning forcibly. All the same, Luminara gently reached out with the Force to probe Ani. All she felt were shields and…extreme fear and pain. Pushing it aside, she concentrated on eating the food set before her, which was surprising delicious. Staring ahead, she wondered why Master Kalla was acting tense, and why her Padawan, who was usually brimming with brightness and energy, was being timid and afraid.

_The answers would come soon enough_, she decided, and kept on eating.

"Well, Master Luminara, it's been fun talking with you and everything," Kalla said, after desert had been served and dishes had been done. Luminara was standing at the doorway, smiling slightly.

"It was a great visit I had, Master Pollo," she bowed. She noticed Ani standing hesitantly behind her Master, and gave the girl a little smile. "Thanks for the dinner. It was most delicious."

"You're welcome," Ani said, braving the, however slight, evil eye her Master gave her. She disappeared after saying that, probably hiding from her Master, Luminara surmised. She and Kalla bowed to each other.

"See you later, Master Unduli," Kalla said formally.

"Goodbye, Master Pollo," Luminara returned formally. She went down the hall, wondering why she felt so uneasy. She dismissed the feeling, thinking that it would go away.

It didn't.

_Once again, I am so sorry that I have not updated for quite a while. It would sort of help if you guys would REVIEW (hint, hint)! Okay, if you didn't get that, PLEASE REVIEW! It would help me to know that at least a FEW are reading and enjoying my stories. Okay, I know you guys are, i'm just in a bad mood. Forgive me? _


	6. Chapter 6 Planning

_Okay, here's the sixth chapter to this story. I hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: Dang it! Not again! All the characters don't belong to me, minus the ones I made up, yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda._

_Dang it,_ Ani thought, doing her one hundred and fifth flip in the air. _Couldn't keep my mouth shut, could I? As usual, I make the littlest mistakes, which result in the biggest consequences. Why I haven't ever patched them up, I have no idea. Dumb, dumb me. Wish I hadn't been chosen, no wait, don't wish that. At least now I have a chance to become a Jedi Knight, whereas I didn't have a chance before._ She was doing flips for her Master, who ordered her to do one hundred and thirty of them. The reason: She had spoken to Master Unduli in the presence of her Master. Panting hard, she set out on her one hundred and sixth flip. Near her, her Master barked, "Keep them up, Padawan. Don't let your focus down. Come on! I've seen banthas do more flips in less time than what you're doing right now!"

"I'm…_trying_, Master," Ani panted, now on her one hundred and tenth flip.

"Well, you're going to have to do a lot better if you want to be as good as the Masters here in the Temple. No trying, _do_ or _do not_. Don't forget Master Yoda's lessons, or I'll make you sit through more of his lectures! I can't believe you actually won second place in the Annual Lightsaber Tournament! You certainly don't do things very well, or very thoroughly. Well, I'm just going to have to make sure everything sticks with a little bit of…persuasion." Ani shuddered when she heard that word combined with that tone of voice. There was nothing she hated more in the galaxy than Master Pollo's form of persuasion, which could range from physical persuasion (beatings) to mental persuasion (Force suggestions). None of them appealed to her. Soon, she was done.

"Alright Padawan, you're done now." Ani complied by sitting on the floor, meditation position, waiting for her next orders. "Now, we spar." Drawing out her orange lightsaber, Kalla bowed to her Padawan, who drew out her deep blue lightsaber with a barely audible sigh and bowed back. Soon, they were doing katas well past Ani's age group, not that she didn't know that, but to argue would be futile, not to mention that it would also hurt, a _lot_. She parried and wove herself between lightsaber strokes, like she was taught, and using her flexible body as a weapon in of itself. When she got sliced in the leg by Kalla's lightsaber, she just closed her mind to the pain. She was numb to it. It didn't matter whether or not she survived or not. She didn't care. Soon, she let the lightsaber get knocked out of her grasp and force-pushed to the floor. Kalla stormed over to her, still holding her lit lightsaber.

"I thought," the lightsaber came flashing down, "I told you," raking through her upper arm, all the way through the right thigh and bottom leg, "to be on your guard _all_ the time?"

"Yes Master. Sure. Whatever," Ani said dully, not aware of the pain. All she could do was berate herself for the rest of their session for not being good enough, nor being conscientious of the pain, for Master Pollo.

"Now," Kalla raked her lightsaber through the right leg one more time, "let that serve as a lesson to you: You're not good enough and you'll never be good enough. Now, stand up and practice more while I go back to our quarters."

"Yes Master," Ani repeated like a robot. Once her Master had gone out of the room and went down the hall to their rooms, she escaped to the hidden area in the Room of a Thousand Fountains. She knew she would be safe there, for a little while at least. As she lay inside their, using the Force to heal herself, she heard voices coming towards her. Her eyes widened, and she quickly moved back, not yet fully healed, to become one with the shadows. A moment later, the entrance parted, for two beings to silently glide on through and to close up the entrance. It was dark, except for the tiny slivers of moonlight shining through the cracks in the leaves and twigs and branches. She looked closer. One of the beings was Barriss Offee, she knew, but she could not tell at first who the other being was. As she looked closer, she wrinkled her brow in puzzlement. It was Master Luminara Unduli, but what was she doing here?

"Come on out, Initiate, we know you're there," Barriss said, grinning. Ani shyly peeked out from her corner, not completely healed of her injuries. Both women stared.

"I'm not hurt that bad!" Ani said, narrowing her eyes.

* * *

_I'm not hurt that bad._ "Then what do you call all those injuries on your leg and arms?" Luminara asked wryly. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a particularly deep wound in the youngling's right leg.

"It's nothing," Ani tried to reassure them. In response, Luminara and Barriss went on either side of her, lifted her up, and started to carry her out of the alcove. "No, please don't take me out!" the youngling exclaimed, trying to twist out of both women's iron-like grip. "If my Master sees you at the door with me, she'll rip me apart! Let me stay here for just a little while; I swear I won't be a bother to you!" The two women paused, glanced at each other, and went back inside the alcove, making sure that the entrance was fully covered and blocked from any outside intrusion. Then they turned their attention fully to the problem that was at hand: helping to calm down the initiate and find out who or what had caused all those injuries.

"What's wrong, Ani," Barriss asked, doing a double-take as she examined the deep injuries.

"N-nothing Master Offee," Ani responded, trying to sneak out.

"Luminara, please hold Ani while I figure out what needs healing," Barriss directed, not taking 'no' for an answer. Sighing, Luminara took up the small initiate, and felt her skin tingle with contact. The initiate fit right inside her arms as easily as if she belonged there, and immediately curled up. At the back of her mind, she felt threads of a bond, that she did _not_ want, start to form. Trying to put up her shields, she found that it only served for the bond to form faster, so she put them down, only to hear a very faint voice in the back of her head.

/_My fault, it's all my fault, as usual_. /

/_No it isn't young one._ / She felt the youngling tense in her arms.

"Done!" Barriss exclaimed. "Alright, you can go back to your quarters, Ani." Ani twisted herself out of Luminara's tight grip and stood. Luminara looked at her concerned. "Youngling, if you take another beating like that, you may not survive."

"It doesn't matter, Master Unduli," the girl said dully. "This is what I deserved. It doesn't hurt if you don't focus on the pain, and if you keep getting beat up like this, you eventually become numb to the pain, and it doesn't matter anymore whether or not you live or die. I deserved it. If I die, who cares? I'll probably deserve that too."

"Youngling – " Barriss began.

"No, Master Offee, I can't tell you who hurt me." Anger coursed through her; in an attempt to stop it, she spotted a little bit of glass lying on the ground. Using the Force, she called it to her hand and stuck it in her arm. Blood shot out and started to drip out of the wound. "There," she said, leaving the piece of glass stuck in her arm, "that should do."

"Ani," Luminara exclaimed, "look at what you did! You just stuck a piece of glass in your arm, and you say it doesn't hurt?!"

"It doesn't," Ani shrugged as Barriss pulled it out and used the Force to heal it.

"Do you do this a lot?" Barriss asked, careful to not sound accusatory.

"Yep." Barriss and Luminara looked at each other, shocked.

"Does your Master know?"

"She doesn't care, Master Unduli." All of a sudden, it dawned on Luminara.

"Is it your Master who beats you up?"

"No." The answer came way too quick for Luminara's liking.

"She does."

"Master Unduli – "

"She does, doesn't she?" When she saw the youngling start to shake with fear, she softened her voice. "Doesn't she?"

"Yes," Ani whispered softly, so softly that they had to strain their ears to hear it. She gulped. Without thinking, Luminara, took the girl's way too thin shoulders and gently hugged her. Barriss watched it with a secret smile: her former Master was connecting to the girl. This was going better than she had hoped for. Her brow furrowed. Now the hard part would be severing the relationship between Ani and her current Master. If she knew Kalla Pollo well, she wouldn't give up her Padawan for anything. They would have to catch Pollo in the act when she would beat up her Padawan, but how? A plan suddenly formed in her brain. After discussing it with Luminara and Ani, who agreed, they set around to making plans, so hopefully their plan to catch Pollo in the act would turn out for the good of all.

Would it, though? Barriss certainly hoped so, but in her experience, something nearly always went wrong. She still hoped that this would be a piece of cake.

Unfortunately, it was not so.

_Review, please! tbc..._


	7. Chapter 7 Disappearance

_Self-explanatory...hey, it's 8:55 PM, my bro wants to watch Star Trek: First Contact, so I made this short ('sides, I had no ideas to add)_

_Disclaimer: You know it, I know it, so whatever._

Ani glanced over at her already-irate Master, keeping a mask over her features as she had been instructed. Once they had found out what Kalla had done to the cameras, to erase images of herself and her padawan, they had alerted the Masters on the Council – especially Masters Yoda and Windu. Ani knew that all she had to do was to spar with her instructor as usual, and then, hopefully, her Master could be caught in the act, killed, and then she would be free from the iron grip her master held on her. Hopefully. _Unfortunately_, she thought logically, _it would most likely not happen. If Master sensed the Masters outside the hall and positioned down the hallways, she would escape with me to some Outer Rim planet. Even if they do capture her, will my life ever be the same? Will I ever be able to become a Jedi Knight? Who will take me on? If I'm not taken on, does that mean I'm headed for the AgriCorps?_ She quickly shielded her thoughts as she felt her master start to probe the training bond.

**/Yes, Master? /**

**/Padawan, what were you thinking? /**

**/Nothing, Master. /**

**/Right, and gundarks fly. /**

**/ Master, I swear upon my life I was not thinking anything of great importance. /**

**/I will be holding you to that promise, Padawan. Don't you forget that, now. / **Ani shivered, as she knew that her Master was very strict when it came to holding promises.

**/Padawan? / **

**/I'll be fine…er, Master. Let's just duel and get this over with. /** She raised her lightsaber up in front of her, and saluted. Her master raised an eyebrow.

"Fine, we'll duel," she said, saluting back. "However, if you have not improved since last time, you will…pay." She added the last word as an afterthought, looking much more sterner than before. "You had better be prepared, Padawan." She attacked. _Flash. Duck. Slash. Parry. Block. Jump. Flip. Turn. Kick out. Hit. Look. Hope that you don't get killed_. Those things were all running through Ani's mind as she went into defensive mode, holding her lightsaber at the ready as her Master's offensive parry came slicing down upon her with a vengeance.

Luminara felt very, very edgy as she watched them below, checking every once in a while to make sure her shields were up tight so no one could sense her, except her fellow…cohorts. She gritted her teeth. Why was she doing this, besides sensing an overly amount of…something saying that she should protect this young girl. She was almost positively sure that Master Yoda would very pleased with the fact that she had…_unintentionally_ formed a bond with the youngling. She grimaced as she noticed that Master Kalla was upping her strokes and speed, almost dizzying and shocking the young padawan. Strange…the girl seemed to anticipate it. Did that mean that she had gone through this almost all the time, when in training with her Master? She sighed as she looked down on the two of them. She blinked once, then twice. Her eyes were not playing tricks on her, that was for sure.

The girl and her Master had gone, disappeared – as if by evaporation or by cloaking, and she had no idea as to where they had went.

_tbc...Please Review._


	8. Chapter 8 Looking

_Okay...9:58 PM at night, and I've finally finished this chappie! Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I DO NOT (right there, peoples) OWN STAR WARS, SO GIVE ME A BREAK FOR FORCE'S SAKE! I DO OWN ALL CHARACTERS I MADE UP, THOUGH!_

Ani was not feeling very well. Her body, pushed to the brink of near exhaustion, felt as if it was on overload. To make matters worse, she was stuck in a cramped passageway underneath the Temple. With her Master. Who was already madder than a Hutt who had been deprived of going to a slave girl auction. She was not at all happy, considering that they had just barely escaped from underneath the Masters' noses, and the fact that she had ripped down her padawan's shields to inspect her every thought and either made a derisive comment on it or mocked her about it. After that…_painful_ experience (Ani winced in the solid blackness surrounding her in the passageway), she had almost no time to recover from that mental agony, as well as physical agony (let's just say that her Master liked to finish up mental/physical torture with more mental/physical torture sometimes; take your pick) as she was quickly rushed off to the passageway behind their room that connected to the Council room, the Healers', the training rooms, and several more that she could not name nor knew. Ah, well. That was probably for the best. Her thoughts drifted back to Master Luminara, how strong and pretty she was. Sure, Master Pollo was pretty, even prettier than Master Luminara in some respects. But, there had been something…_natural_ connecting her and Master Luminara, whereas it was forced between her and her current Master. _Stop it_, she thought hurriedly. _If your Master finds out who you're thinking of, she'll…no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…………_But it seemed that her pleadings were not to be answered that day, as her mind got racked with more pain than she could handle, or her physic, for that matter. _It seems that my Master loves to torture me to no _end, she thought grimly, before a bigger burst of pain settled upon her and she fought it, and against screaming aloud, which would only fuel her Master's wrath more, but to no avail. Before she went into sweet unconsciousness, she sent a plea out with her mind: _Help me, whoever can hear me. I need you. I can't last. Master will kill me soon since I am sending this message._ She winced as another attack increased the pain, but continued, being drawn closer to the sweet bliss of being unconscious. _I will not survive. We are in the tunnels behind – _Another burst of pain overwhelmed her and she slumped forward to fall deeper into the shaft, now unconscious, totally subjected to her Master's wrath.

Meanwhile, Masters Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, and Yoda searched the training rooms, chambers (which included the Council chamber), and the Healers' center, while Masters Mace Windu, Cin Drallig, and Ilena Xan checked the rest of the Temple, mainly below. As they walked through the third to last training room, Luminara staggered. She felt such pain coming into her head, then wondered why she was feeling it, as it did not directly affect her. Suddenly, she remembered last night, and all that had happened, including the fact that she and Ani had formed a bond. Then, why were there no shields on the other end. Taking a deep breath, she ignored the curious glances she was receiving from her friend and fellow Master, and delved deeper. She felt much more pain than before, but continued on. Soon, she felt someone speaking in through their bond, and listened as closely to it as she could without actually hurting herself or the person attached to the other end. _Help me, whoever can hear me._ That was weird. _I need you._ Okay. _I can't last._ Bad news there. _Master will kill me soon since I am sending this message. _She felt even more pain come on in and she nearly cried aloud, purplish lips stretching back to reveal shiny white teeth. She faintly felt Barriss being worried and Master Yoda coming over towards her, but she ignored them. The next part startled her. _I will not survive._ _She_ has_ to_, Luminara thought grimly. _We are in the tunnels behind – _Suddenly, the connection was suddenly broken as the other end slipped into peaceful unconsciousness and started to fall. She felt her body start to fall, only to get levitated into the air.

"Hello, Master Yoda," she said, confusion and pain still inside her being. "Did I –"

"…fall, you did," Yoda informed her soberly. He set her back right side up. "Know, I did not, that bond you did with a chosen apprentice." When she started to protest, he started to laugh. "Hoped, I did, that bond with young Laminara you would." His ears drooped. "Wish, I did, that circumstances were better."

"Agreed, Master," Luminara said stiffly. "I did not know that she would be experiencing pain, however." She gestured towards the rooms they had not yet checked yet. "Ani said that they were in the tunnels behind…" She stopped suddenly, feeling more pain crawl up the bond. "Oh Force." She buried her face into her hands.

"What is it?" Barriss asked her.

"Master Pollo's trying to severe our bond that Ani and I share," Luminara gasped, struggling to maintain her hold on the bond. "It seems that she and I have bonded together so tightly that she's hard-pressed to destroy it quickly, but she's destroying it, nevertheless. It's slow though, so we have time, but let's make this quick, okay?" Barriss opened her mouth to ask a question; Luminara knew what she wanted to say and intercepted her, "She feels that she'll die soon if we don't find her quick."

"Then hurry, we must," Master Yoda called out. He started down the hallway, pushing his hoverchair to its limits. It sped down the hall so fast that the two women had to run to catch up.

"Where are we going, Master Yoda?" Barriss panted, keeping pace on his right side.

"Going to the Council chambers we will."

"Why?" asked Luminara, also keeping pace on his left side.

"In danger, our young one is. Torturing her to her limits, her master is." Master Yoda looked at them both gravely. "Get there soon, we must, or your young one, Luminara, dead, she will be." A shiver ran up her spine as she followed the minute Master to the Council chambers, Barriss in tow. She prayed to the Force that Ani would be blessed enough to live that night, as she refused to lose her. She knew that she had originally not wanted to take on another padawan, but the Force had connected them for one reason or another, and she would do as it wished. _And I made sure that I had paid attention to Master Jinn's lectures on that_, she thought wryly, allowing a rare smile to sneak up and flash over her face. _Please, let Ani be alright. I need her, for reasons unknown to myself. She will need a lot of healing though, both physical and mental_

She didn't know, couldn't know, how right she was.

_tbc...I'm lazy right now, but I'm tired. Pretty please review?!_


	9. Chapter 9 Finding

_Am very, VERY sorry that this is so short, have an ending picked out, I do, but lead up to it, I must. Am working on Geonosis story, so sorry folks that THIS IS SHORT (omgosh, what a crime!)_

_Disclaimer: U know it, I know it, so what's the point? Use chappies for reference._

Ani had never felt more pain than she did now. She was currently stuck underneath Master Windu's chair in the Council chamber, curled up with her Master near her, so she couldn't use the Force without getting hurt, a _lot_, and so that her Master could kill the other Masters on the chase. _At least I still have my bond with that pretty, nice Master_, she thought, raising and lowering her shields. No sooner had she done this than she got overwhelmed with a powerful, hateful wave of Dark side energy. _Sithspit! I wish she wouldn't do that!_ Another Force-wave of pain threatened to come over her. _Okay, I'll pretend I did not say that._ She gasped when she heard footsteps coming into the Council chambers, and immediately got Force-shocked. Giving up any hope of her surviving this, she immediately yelled, "Masters, over here! Please, hurry up!" As she once again neared into unconsciousness, she whispered, partially out loud and through her bond, "I'm getting tortured here; please don't give up."

Master Luminara knew immediately that they were on the right trail as they entered the Council chambers, since she could feel Ani's signature here better than anything else. The bond she shared with that young girl was so strong that the evil master was not done with cutting it off, but then, she was a quarter of a way through it. Barriss and Yoda followed in her wake, both grim and ready to rescue the one little, very bright and loveable youngling. They burst through the doors just as they heard Ani start to holler from the pain.

"Masters, over here!" she cried, invisible to them. "Please, hurry up." Luminara felt the bond ache with the pain, but before she could do anything with the pain she had to find her Padawan, or at least, her Padawan-to-be.

She just hoped that she wasn't too late.

Ani felt calm acceptance of her fate. Sure, she would most likely die. Even with the other Masters here, her Master would not hesitate to go and kill her in front of them just for spite. However, if she had read her Master correctly, she wanted to play with her padawan in front of the other Masters, hurt one severely and then kill her. Ani sighed mentally. This would not be easy. Suddenly, she felt her Master display holograms of her in each of the twelve seats, lifting her up out of Mace's seat. She stared out to find Master Luminara right in front of her, reaching out with the Force to find her. _I'm right here,_ she thought sarcastically. _If you would crash through the shields that Master has put up in front of me, you would sense me. But you don't. Sithspit, how I hate this!_

"Master," Luminara said, rushing over to Ani's chair where the real her was waiting, "I've found her. I have found my padawan." Ani blinked. _Padawan? Me, her Padawan?_

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" a voice screamed from the other side of the expansive room. Master Pollo landed with a soft thud, orange lightsaber ignited and held in offensive position. "How about a duel, Master Luminara? If you win, you get Ani, but if you don't, then the girl dies." She grinned wickedly. "And all you will get is brain damage for the rest of your life." Luminara ignited her light green lightsaber, which pierced the darkness. Everything went quiet. Then, suddenly, Master Pollo, with a scream of rage leapt towards Luminara with sickening velocity. Luminara easily blocked the blow. That was when the battle truly began.

_tbc...Please review._


	10. Chapter 10 Fighting

_Here's a lengthy chap...chappie TEN! Enjoy. Oh, and btw, please review. _

_Disclaimer: I will NEVER own Star Wars; so there!_

Ani watched, her strength weakening as she watched the two women fight again and again, each having a strong will, and, most importantly, each not giving her up. She was tired; no, more than tired. She was exhausted, a sever type of exhaustion it was, and it wouldn't let go of her. That type would only be cured by resting for several weeks and getting enough to eat.

"Kalla, please come back to the Light. Your padawan is suffering, and I'm afraid for her," she heard Luminara say. Kalla started to sneer, but then she stopped. This had been going on for about fifteen minutes; usually her master tried to end the fight into five minutes or less, rarely more. It turned out that Master Luminara was a lot stronger than she looked. Ani felt a rare thread of – hope? – when she saw her Master run towards her.

"Masters," she cried, her arms stretching towards them, as if they would get her. Master Luminara powered down her lightsaber and rushed forwards hurriedly, almost making it there. However, Kalla was there first, and so she was able to grab Ani and cling to her, like a drowning person would cling to a life raft. She ignited her lightsaber, positioning it so it would cover both her and her padawan.

"No," she cried, still maintaining her strong grip on her padawan. "She's mine, not yours, Master Luminara, or anyone else's for that matter."

"Master Pollo –" Luminara began, trying to reason with her.

"_No_, Master Unduli; she is mine, all mine and not yours." She then began to cackle madly. "My padawan will be nothing to you; she's everything to me." Ani kept unnaturally still in her Master's grip, not going unnoticed by Luminara. _She looks so accepting of her fate_, she thought, grimacing. _How can she be? She has so much potential that to ignore it would be a waste. I wish that her Master could just let her go, so we wouldn't have to kill her to get Ani, but that seems to be the only option._

"Master Pollo, could you please let her go?" she heard Barriss ask. "You are hurting her more than you are hurting us" (_except for me, I think_, Luminara thought), "and wouldn't you want to see her happy?"

"She'll only be happy as long as I'm her Master," Pollo snarled. Ani relaxed a tad in her Master's iron grip; the grip lessened as her Master continued talking to the other Masters. _If I can get out of her grip and have myself between her and the Masters, then maybe we can get some sense into her kriffin' head_, she thought, suddenly pretending to faint. The ploy worked, as she had hoped, and her Master suddenly released her. In a flash, she was on her feet, in the distance between the Masters and her Master, and held her blue-green lightsabers in her hands, defensive mode.

"Padawan!" Both Master Luminara and Kalla called her title out; the latter giving the former a glare that could melt Hoth. Luminara didn't even flinch.

"Master," came Ani's steady voice. "If you would only look beyond yourself, then you would see that I need a better Master. You are almost totally consumed by the dark side; though I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner." She pulled her self up to her full height, ignoring the pain that ate at her, and saluted her Master.

"I'm sorry, but if you think that I'm still staying with you, you're dead wrong," she said grimly, doing a form Vaapad salute. "My place is here, and if you dispute with me about that, I will have no choice BUT to fight you." At that moment, Luminara admired Ani and her bravery. Here she was, ready to fight her master, possibly knowing that after this, she wouldn't be able to become a Knight unless someone chose her, but she trusted the Force.

/_Ani_/ she said through their hastily constructed bond.

/_Huh? Oh, it's you_/ the girl responded back, sadly. /_Sorry if I've messed up way too much_/

/_Padawan_/ Luminara said firmly. /_There's nothing for you to be sorry for. If we ever live through this, I just wanted you to know that you would've been my Padawan. I'm sorry if this has taken longer, and that I'm such a bantha-brain, but - _/

/_Master_/ Ani said warmly /_it's not your fault. But thank you. If I do die_/ Luminara winced at that word /_then I just wanted you to know that I think you're pretty, smart, and I really, really, really like you._/

/_Thank you, young one_/ Silence.

/_Okay…the odds are currently not in our favor, right? _/

/_No, they are not, Ani. Which is why you are going to be guarding my back, not my front/_

/_But Master - _/

/_No, Padawan; her main goal is you, and since I don't want you run through by a lightsaber, then you're going to guard my back_/

"Ah, talking through your new connection, are you?" Kalla jeered. Luminara gave her a hard stare. "Just remember, Lumi, that I have a connection in Ani's head also, so I can hear every single word you say." She lifted her lightsaber into a mock salute, then charged towards Ani. "And since you care so much about my little padawan, then she'll be the first to die."

"No," whispered Luminara, coming between Ani and the charging Kalla.

"Master," she heard Ani's soft voice whisper in her ear. "I believe that I can do something which will hurt her but not fatally. Master Koon helped me to perfect it." Surprised, Master Luminara said, "Alright, but be careful, young one."

"Will do, my Master," Ani grinned up at her. Luminara felt herself smile back. It was amazing what this young one could have her do. As Ani stepped out in front of her 'new' Master, Luminara lifted her lightsaber to protect her padawan in case her Padawan's plan failed. Once Kalla was about less than two meters from them, Ani stretched forward her hand, and out came Force Lightning, or Electric Judgment as Plo Koon had called it. It enveloped Kalla, crackling and hissing, and she dropped to the floor, unconscious. Ani gently drew back the lightning, carefully repressed and extinguished it, and nearly fell over. Fortunately, Luminara was there to catch her.

"Padawan, what did you just do?" she asked dubiously, gazing at Kalla's crumpled form.

"I did the Electric Judgment, otherwise known as Force-Lightning," Ani replied, catching her breath. "However I did it at a much higher power so she wouldn't be put under torture, and yet not be dead. I have to admit, though; that took a chunk out of me. I never knew that it would be so difficult, but then I should've expected it. Sorry," she added, biting her lip. Luminara gently enveloped her in her arms.

"Young one, it's okay. You did a great job, and thanks to you, now we have her in custody." She glanced at the still-prone form on the floor. "However, I believe that we should get her into a Force-deprivation cell as soon as possible. Can you do that, Master Yoda?"

"Hmmph, yes, do it I can, but something more important there is." He looked to Luminara. "Master Luminara Unduli, take Ani on as your padawan, will you?" Ani felt a surge of happiness, and quickly clamped down on it.

"Yes, Master Yoda, I accept Ani Laminara as my padawan," Luminara said, fighting the urge to grin.

"And Youngling Ani Laminara, accept Master Unduli, do you, as your Master?"

"Yes, Master Yoda," she said, allowing a small grin to flit across her face. "I accept Master Luminara Unduli as my Master."

"Then bonded you are, now as Master and Padawan." He waved them to kneel; they did so. "Approve this, the Force does. Approve it, I do." He looked both of them each straight in the face. "Now, truly Master and Padawan, you both are."

"Thank you, Master," they chorused, and stood. Ani swayed slightly, and then stopped herself.

"Padawan, are you okay?" Luminara asked sharply.

"I-I-I'm fine, Master," she said softly, and then dropped to the ground. Luminara swooped down to catch her just in time.

"Oh, Padawan," she said softly. She gently carried her out the door, using a sleep-suggestion to keep her newest Padawan in slumber.

"Master Unduli," Master Yoda called after her. When she turned to him, questions written over her face, he said, "Take her to the healers, you must." His ears drooped. "For need healing, both physical and mental, she does." Luminara nodded.

"Yes, Master," she replied, and went straight out the door. Soon, Masters Fisto and Koon came on in.

"Master Yoda –" they began, surprised, but he cut them off.

"Delay you must not, for take this woman into custody, you must," Yoda said sharply. Snapping immediately to attention, they both went the now-slightly moaning form of Master Pollo and started to drag her down towards the cells. Barriss, who was still acting like a bystander, shook herself slightly and started out the door.

"Well, I better be off, for Master Unduli will want me to work on her new padawan, less questions," she remarked, grinning mischievously. "Will you be coming to see them soon, Master Yoda?"

"Yes, Barriss, I will," he said nodding. "Alert me, you will, when wakes up she does." He hobbled away, towards his quarters, while Barriss went off to the Healer's Ward to start the long process of healing on Ani. He sighed.

The process would be lengthy, for the scars and deep wounds inflicted on her by her former master would not come off easily.

They never did.

_Please review. How was it? Was it okay?_

_tbc..._


	11. Chapter 11 Treatment

_Here's chappie eleven! Sorry it's short, for those of you who LOVE longies. I felt it was right for the story to end here, and to begin a new chapter. Call it writer's instinct. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: This is not, will not, ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever eeveeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr going to be mine, so cut me some slack, will ya?! _

Luminara was sitting by her unmoving padawan as Barriss tended to her injuries, making sure to check every square inch for any kind of cut, scrape, or burn. She sighed mentally, grasping Ani's hand in hers tightly, as tightly as she could without squeezing the bandage on her right hand too much as she ran over everything that had happened in the past couple days.

_Let's see_, she thought mentally, organizing her thoughts in an efficient manner, very much like her. _I met Ani at the training salle; I went to dinner with her Master-former master- later that very day; Barriss and I found her in the secret room in the Room of A Thousand Fountains; we then went on that chase to claim her; and after a very grueling battle with Pollo, we finally got her back._ She smiled as she gazed down at the tiny, sleeping form of the apprentice as she slept, oblivious to the meds, bandages, and the pain. _And I have a new padawan, thanks to Yoda's meddling!_ The teenage girl stirred and moaned something unintelligible. She smiled.

"Padawan, it's alright; you can go back to sleep now," she said, accenting her words with a sleep-suggestion. Ani looked up to meet her master's deep blue eyes, shimmering with reassurance. Comforted, she quickly drifted back to sleep.

_Master's here, so I have no reason to be afraid,_ she thought. Suddenly, fear pierced her heart, and dozens of questions sprang into her mind. _What if she's going to hurt me? What if she's going to betray me, like Master Pollo did? What if she's going to torture me like my former master? What if – _

**/Padawan/** a sweet-sounding voice drifted over their newly constructed bond. **/Sleep. We will be in our new quarters once you are well rested./** Something akin to a chuckle sounded out, and she felt a little better.

/**My little one/** and she knew it was her new master **/do not worry. Sleep. I will be here when you wake up/**. Something about that message, and the voice comforted Ani. She smiled and relaxed.

**/I will, my master/** she sent back, inwardly grinning.

**/I know/** came her master's voice again. She smiled once more, closed her eyes, and fell into the darkness that now surrounded her brain, the silent blackness of sleep where there are no dreams.

Just rest.

_Well, whaddya think? R&R please. There's a great button that's green at the bottom called 'Review'. Push it. You know you want to._


	12. Chapter 12 New Beginnings

_Chapter 12 is here? Already? It wasn't supposed to get published until, like, a millennia later, right? Wrong! It's here, and yes, it's actually here. Click it, and it won't disappear...unless someone's snatched it from me. If they do, gimme! It's mine, and I claim it! Well, just read, okay? Enjoy! :)_

_Disclaimer: It's not, will never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever be mine, not in a century, definitely not in a millennia! _

"Are these our new quarters?" she asked, eyes wide. Luminara chuckled.

"Yes, young one," she replied, standing next to her padawan in the quiet hallway. "The Council has granted us new quarters, far from your…old ones."

"How far?" Ani asked warily, eyeing the door cautiously.

"At least six floors away, from what I heard," the Master assured her.

"From the Healer's Wing, too?" she asked impishly, humor glinting in her eyes. The elder woman laughed and ruffled her short, blond hair.

"Yes, my padawan, far enough from the Healer's Wing too." The padawan gave a small sigh of relief. She knew that if she wanted to have a chance at a new life, she had to do her best to keep away from the quarters where she and her former master had stayed in. Trying to remember past memories without totally going berserk would be difficult, but she was ninety-nine percent sure her new master would help her through this. After all, Master Luminara was nice…right?

Luminara chuckled. "Don't worry young one, I made sure to tell Master Yoda that you hated the Healer's Wing, which he agreed with. That's one reason why we got this. The other is so that we can spend some time together by ourselves – away from the other Jedi for the most part." Ani smiled up shyly.

"Thank you, Master," she said in a near whisper, beaming a small smile up to her. She was glad that they'd be able to spend some time by themselves, away from other beings. She had never felt really comfortable around others, rather spending time journaling, reading in the archives, or even writing.

Luminara was pleased, also, that they'd be able to have some time to themselves. She really wanted to know more about this little one who was so shy, who had a few friends, and who looked (even though she really hated to say it) undersized. _Probably that brutal master of hers_, she considered, and agreed. As she looked at her padawan, beaming with newfound happiness, she silently vowed, _I will never let you be abused again, my padawan. Never again, as long as I'm around to protect you._ However, she sensed that some dark and trying times were ahead, and that only a true bond forged then would be able to stand underneath it all.

The problem was, the girl still had the former bond in her head. Barely threads of it remained, but it was still there. In order to create a long-lasting bond, they had to completely clear her mind of the old one in order to make room for the new one. However, that could cause nightmares, night terror, and other medical complications for her, not to mention that she was the only half-blood Mirialan Jedi, with a system just a little abnormal but made her nearly impossible to fully comprehend. Hopefully, they wouldn't be called for any missions for at least a week or so. Bonding took quite a bit of time, and trust wasn't gained in a day.

Shaking the thoughts away, Luminara turned to find her padawan. "Come, Ani," she called to the still-grinning young one, who looked up at her and straightened. "Let's go in." The door whooshed behind them as they entered their quarters, and talked awhile, for the first time. The future danger could wait. After all, they had to form an apprenticeship unlike any other in order to face it.

Luminara smiled as she laid down to sleep that night. Her padawan trusted her so far. It was going okay. From this point on, she'd be treading on eggshells…okay, on a krayt dragon's cave at night. Not exactly a great thing, but it had to be done. Hey, she had done a great job in coaxing Ani out of her shell so far. Now all she had to do was convince her that she, her Master, was worthy enough to confide in. There was enough time to take it slow, however. The slower the better, not just for her padawan, but for herself as well. Besides, they were off duty for a while, not until at least two weeks later…right?

_Okay...gotta work on other stories here. However, it would still be great to hear from you, readers! : D Keep up the great reviews. Hopefully I'll be able to write more, even with the stuff I have to do around home. God bless!_


	13. Chapter 13 Visions

_Here's chapter 13, after a long wait. I'll be going camping for a while, but will be writing, so don't worry! Lost the notebook, though...darn._

_Disclaimer: You know it already, so REMEMBER, please!_

_The corridor wound before her in a seemingly endless line, which sported such riches that she knew the like to be comparable only to a senator's apartments. However, she wasn't interested with them, but in which direction the long hall winded to. No matter how far she might run though, it appeared that she wasn't going anywhere. The same section was always before her, so that she soon wondered if she was making any progress at all. _

_In despair, she looked down. The ornately designed floor seemed to grin wickedly back at her, the designs slithering and twisting around to show the cruel face of someone she knew all too well. It seemed to revel in her open display of weakness. Also, the walls mocked her by running on either side in a seemingly endless line. Suddenly, she sensed _her_. She knew all too well that, if she was caught, she would be tortured as long as she was conscious, and too often was she made to be conscious by the use of drugs if she even appeared to be slipping away. _

"_No," she whispered, starting to run towards the opposite end of the hallway. If she could possibly find a door somewhere_, anywhere_, she could get out of this rat trap and start finding her master. However, a blank wall appeared in front of her. Before she could stop, she felt herself hurling towards it at full speed. Hitting the wall sideways, she heard bone crack, and knew her ribs had, at the least, fractured, if not completely broken._

Good thing I have a few left still attached_, she thought, wincing as she hit the floor. Hearing a cackle, she looked up, and was shell-shocked. There, standing before her, was her nemesis, not just hers but also the one of all living Jedi. She had been found. After taking a deep breath in she stood, but not before she was hit in the stomach with a ceramic pot, causing her insides to feel like they were just set on fire. Biting back a scream, she ignited her lightsaber and held it in front of her trembling body._

"_Why are you here?" she asked hoarsely, holding her stomach with the unoccupied hand. The assassin didn't reply; she merely stood there, holding her hand out to restrict the air intake. Choking, she slid down to the floor, letting go of her lightsaber at the same time; blackness overcoming her vision. Before passing out, she heard the other say what she feared the most; moreover, what she, in her despair, thought to be true._

"_You are a failure, unworthy of even being a Jedi. And now, because you have failed, you will die, and your master will never notice. Neither will she care, because it is your fault that she's in pain." Your fault…your fault…your fault…The chant continued on as she pitched forwards and collapsed on the ground. It's your fault… your fault…your fault…your fault…your fault…_

________________________________________________________________________

"Aiiieeeauuuhhh!" Ani woke up with a scream, but quickly cut it off once she found out where she was. She was in her shared quarters at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and she shared them because she had been chosen as a padawan. Padawan… Speaking of which, as she rubbed her knuckles against her forehead, she remembered suddenly that, if she could find the tiny object she had used before for this, the dreams would stop…for that night, at least. Quickly, she set aside the covers, got up and went to the refresher both she and her master shared as quietly as she could.

_No sense disturbing my master out of her sleep,_ Ani reasoned to herself as she stayed in the shadows outside the refresher, gently probing the corners in the tiny room with the Force to make sure no one was in there. _'Sides, it's not like I'm doing anything _wrong_, per se._ She started to creep across the tiled floor, towards the sink and the shiny, metallic cupboard above that._ It's just a tiny, little thing my former master made me take whenever I had these nightmarish dreams; good thing I was able to put them in here without incident. Don't know if Master would approve of them._ She thought for a moment. _Meh, probably not._

"What's 'probably not?'" She spun around, just as she was almost close enough to wave open the cabinet. There, in the moonlit doorway, stood Master Luminara. The Jedi Master, in her black, sleeveless top with form-fitting pants, waved the lights on, seemingly oblivious to her padawan's sharp look.

"Master." Ani dipped her head in acknowledgement. "What are you doing up?" Her master merely shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep," she replied. "As I walked out of my quarters, I sensed someone in here; that's why I came in." She raised an eyebrow. "Why are you up, Padawan?" Ani shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

"Same reason." She continued her course to the cupboard over the sink, trying to ignore her master's curious gaze. She knew that if she even looked once at her master, she would lose her composure. All she needed to do was get close enough to open it.

"Forgive me, but usually people, when they can't sleep, go out to see the moonlight," Luminara commented wryly. "Why are you in here?"

_Because if I go out to look at the moon, I'll remember,_ Ani thought grimly. _Not just the dream, but…everything. Everything from birth on. And I can't afford to start remembering, especially not now._ "I…um, I'm just…looking for something." _Don't look at her, you'll blurt it out. Don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look, don't look…_

"Really? Perhaps I can help you find it." _Oh no, please don't, Master. Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't – _

"Well, um, I think I can find it on my own, no problem." Sensing the look on her master's face, she quickly followed up with, "But thanks anyways, Master."

"Padawan." That word did more than anything else said could have. Ani froze, stiff as a board, waiting for words of condemnation, hate, disgust, or whatever nastiness her master might feel. After all, she deserved them. Not saying what she needed had gotten her in a ton of trouble with her former master, so why shouldn't her new master do the same? _Besides, Master Pollo did the same to me,_ she thought, _so why shouldn't Master Unduli do the same?_ But the harsh words didn't come. Instead, Luminara looked compassionately at her padawan, wondering if she should keep asking. After all, this new padawan of hers was tough in spirit, but could break like glass if prodded in the wrong places too often.

"My dear, what are you looking for?" she inquired once again. Ani sighed and reluctantly turned around.

"A metallic medication bottle," she replied, turning back fast as lightning to open the cabinet and start her search.

"What for?" Luminara was confused. As far as she knew, her padawan didn't need any medications, and she hadn't gotten any from her short stay at the healers'. _Unless…_

"Padawan, are you looking for…" She racked her brain for an answer, and finally got one. "…sleeping pills?"

"Yep." Ani didn't sound sorry, nor did she feel she should be. After all, they were a part of her life, and they were a great help. _So what if others say that it's wrong to take them,_ she asked herself. _They help me and don't hurt me, and my former master had me take them, with approval from the healers no less. Therefore, it can't be wrong for me to use them._

"Why?" Ani blinked in surprise. Of all the things she'd expected her master to say, that was the least of them, not to mention the most unexpected.

"Why do you take the pills?" Luminara was determined to understand her padawan, and in order for her to do that, she sensed she should keep asking.

"Because…" Ani stopped. _Should I go on and lose my composure, or should I clam up?_ Again, she had to ask herself the important question Master Yoda had told her when she had woken up: _Would it help or hinder the relationship I have with my master, or in any way hurt me in the long run?_ That had been before her master had come to pick her up. Silence filled her ears as she bit her black lip, making her decision and worrying over it, only delaying. "Because my…former master," Man, how it was hard for her to even say that much. "She made me," _breathe_, "made me take them…whenever I had dreams and happened to disturb her sleep."

Luminara was shocked. Her padawan was addicted to sleeping pills, introduced by her former sithspawned (_pardon my language_, she thought) master, and to top it all off, she had been having dreams.

"How long have you been having these dreams?" she asked. Her padawan eyed her warily before answering. "Ever since I turned ten standard years old."

_So it's been going on a while_, Luminara mused. _No wonder she looks older than her years. That, and being abused has both taken their toll on her. She's so young, and yet so old. I will help you through this, my little one. No matter what happens, I will be with you._

"Little one." Startled by being called that name, Ani whirled around yet again, the medication bottle in one hand and several sleeping pills in the other. Luminara stifled another sigh. _At least she responded_, she told herself. "Little one," she repeated, "please give me those pills." Ani complied. "With the bottle." This time, Ani had to force herself to comply with her master's wishes, which did not go unnoticed by Luminara.

Once the pills (and bottle) were safely in her possession, she quickly disposed of them by walking over to a chute in the wall outside the 'fresher, which led to an incinerator and recycler below their rooms. She then came back to take her padawan by the hand and lead her out to the main room, and to the couch which was parked against the far wall, nearest the door. Once they sat down, only then did she turn to get a good look at her padawan, and was shocked to see tear tracks running down her face.

"My little one, why are you crying?" she asked, folding Ani in her arms. The teen-aged girl sat limply, head bowed as if she was ashamed to say anything. _Maybe she's afraid to say anything_, Luminara mused. _Knowing that, if she does, she could be punished for it._ She grasped the girl by her shoulders and shook her, ever so slightly.

"My padawan, do not be afraid to come to me if you are troubled by something, whether face-to-face or by our bond. I will not hurt you for concerns, visions, or anything else. Now, please tell me, what did you dream?"

Ani looked up, and saw nothing resembling her former master. The eyes shown with kindness, the face radiating warmth, and the arms that were wrapped around her with protection. She knew right then that she was really starting over. Sure, she had known it before, but now it was more ingrained, more believed. She was not going to be abused again. She was where she belonged. She was home. Now she knew what she should do, and swallowed hard to gather up the remnants of her courage so as to strengthen her resolve and fight the past.

"I…" she faltered. She stopped herself, breathed in, and continued. "I dreamed that…I was in a long corridor, one that you find in palaces for senators or kings. However, this one seemed to go nowhere, and on top of that, the walls and floor seemed to be…alive."

As Luminara listened to her padawan's tale, part of her was dubious. It scoffed at the possibility that this dream could even possibly be real. However, a larger part knew all too well that dreams often foretold future events, no matter how far away. She knew that she should listen to this, as she sensed it would be fulfilled, though how soon she did not know.

Once Ani finished, she hung her head and remained silent. To break the frost from settling over her padawan, Luminara hugged her again, this time more tightly.

"My little one," she said softly. "Look at me." Ani did so, hesitantly, and her head tilted up, with the help of one of her master's hands. She immediately clung to her master, not letting go, and giving her one of her fiercest hugs. Luminara smiled, and touched their bond. Immediately, it opened (she suspected it had been blocked, perhaps unintentionally, at her padawan's end), and she could hear her padawan "talk", so to speak.

/_**Little one, are you listening?**_/ she called out, and was immediately rewarded with a stiff-at-attention acknowledgment.

/_**Yes, Master**_/ _Efficient,_ Luminara thought wryly. _At least she's not saluting. _

/_**Padawan, are you afraid?**_/ Hesitation was evident, as it took at least a couple standard minutes for the young one to respond.

/_**Nope**_/ Ani felt herself respond with waaaaaaay more confidence than what she felt at that moment.

/_**Padawan, please tell me the truth**_/ Luminara knew that her padawan was trying to be braver than she actually was, and sympathized with her. Having dreams or visions often made you unsure of the future. _Especially for the younger ones,_ Luminara thought, shifting for a more secure position on the couch.

/_**Okay, maybe I'm just a teeny bit worried**_/ Ani admitted, adjusting herself as well.

/_**Scared?**_/

/_**Worried, not scared, Master**_/ The girl acted indignant. /_**Little kids are scared and act it. Us bigger ones aren't supposed to be, and we get to hide it**_/

/_**Not from me, my little one**_/ Ani looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the amused expression on her master's face. /_**I'm your master, I simply can't ignore your feelings or disregard them, but rather help you through them. 'Sides, hearing you think is quite…interesting to say the least**_/

/_**You mean funny**_/ Ani corrected.

/_**No…interesting**_/ Luminara was adamant, no doubt about that.

/_**Funny**_/

/_**Interesting**_/

/_**Funny**_/

/_**Interesting**_/

/_**Funny**_/ Ani gave her master a thought-nudge. /_**And if I have any clue about you, Master, it's that you're trying not to laugh and show me that you think my thinking is funny**_/

/_**Perhaps, Padawan of mine, perhaps. I think that you're overreacting, however**_/ She let her young one know she was joking by tingeing the thought with humor. Fortunately, her padawan caught on, and bantered back.

"Master!" she cried out loud, folding her arms over her chest. "Me? Overreact? Never!" Luminara snorted, which caused the teen to snort and shake with mirth. Finding that she liked how her padawan laughed, she made a face which caused her padawan to nearly fall to the floor. Finally, they both calmed down, and sat together on the couch, padawan enfolded in her master's arms.

"Ready to sleep again?" Ani hesitated, and nodded, eyes downcast. "I'll stay with you, if you like."

"Really?" She looked to her master for confirmation, and was not disappointed.

"Really. Now let's go."

"Thanks, Master." She gave Luminara a huge smile, and bounded off to her room. Her master followed, quite enjoying this.

As she lay in bed, Ani thought over what had just happened. She knew now that things would be different, and she was glad for that. Most of all, she was thankful that this new, awesome master was not like her former one. _I can sense the change_, she thought, snuggling underneath the covers._ I will be able to start over, and my master's going to help me. Thanks to the Force and Master Yoda, I'm free from my master. With my new master, I'll be able to become free of the past._

Master Luminara watched her new padawan sleep, holding her hand. _She looks so young when she sleeps_, she thought, brushing away strands of her long, yellow hair. _She also needs more care, as she has more ghosts from the past haunting her that need to be stopped. Strange_, she mused, _that I'm so attached to her, and it's barely two days into our relationship. With Barriss, it took a little longer, but her… Perhaps it's because she needs more attention, what with her past and all. _

_Sleep on, my padawan,_ Luminara thought, not letting go of her hand. _I will be here for you, no matter what. We will fight the scars and memories together, you and I. I've sworn to do that, and I refuse to back down. I will be here to listen, whatever may come our way. _

_Because that's what a master does for her padawan. _

_Like it? Didn't? Review please, either way!_


	14. Chapter 14 Foreknowledge

_Here's chapter 14 for all you faithful readers! I hope it's long enough!_

_Disclaimer: It's not even mine, oh why do I bother... Oh, that's right, so I don't get sued by Lucas & Co. ;-)_

It was now several weeks after the dream. By now, Master Luminara and her padawan had both settled comfortably into their individual roles. The latter went in for soul healing, although not as often as she had earlier. Ani was making amazing progress, not only by gaining more confidence in herself and her abilities, but also in training. She had almost mastered Soresu (Form III), as she trained with her master daily, which gave her an edge. She was also working on Niman (Form VI), with Master Cin Drallig, the lightsaber master.

Besides becoming more proficient in lightsaber techniques, she also learned to let go and to accept the past, which was becoming easier for her. However, she continued to attend soul healing sessions weekly, which made her calmer and more peaceful than she had been weeks ago.

Not only did Ani gain finesse and patience, she also gained compassion for others, and the ability to empathize with them and share feelings. What had been done to her in the past was not ; by experiencing what few had experienced, she found _She would make a great healer,_ Caudle, the Jedi Master of sickbay, had told her master.

_Yes,_ Luminara Unduli had replied humorously. _If only she would learn how to master that infamous temper of hers just a little bit more._ Yet another problem that they needed to work on – together. Okay, so she wasn't the same little spitfire that had taken revenge on the droids after they had killed her mother eleven-some years ago, but she still retained a little of that ignitable anger inside of her. If she was angry, she took her frustrations either out on her master, who just took it all calmly, or kept it all inside, masking it perfectly. The outbursts were gradually becoming less (with the occasional case of her beating up an initiate because he teased her master) as her master patiently led her through the finer points of meditation.

Her anger still posed a problem, however, not just to herself, but also to everyone with whom she came in contact with. Coupled with her stubbornness and tendency towards aggressive negotiations, she definitely didn't fit the normal picture of a Jedi. However, she did make an excellent fighter, and a good strategy student.

All this and more were being discussed in a meeting being held in the Jedi Council, in the center Spire. The Council members were trying to decide which Jedi team they should send to deal with a problem over on Alderaan, and no one had come to an agreement as of yet.

"Alright, alright," Mace Windu said wearily. "Can we at least narrow down to which team we might even _think_ about sending?" Oppo Rancisis raised a hand.

"What about…" he began before Kit cut him off with a sigh.

"No, Kenobi and Skywalker are not available to do this. They're currently on Cristophsis, holding their own against the Separatist droids." He steepled his fingers, touching the tips to his mouth. "Personally, I feel that Aayla Secura and I should go, but you –"

"No, we're not going to let you go alone with your girlfriend," his fellow Council member, Agen Kolar, stage-whispered in his ear. He blushed slightly.

"He – Hey! She's not my girlfriend," he protested weakly. Agen Kolar gave him a sly wink.

"Riiiiiiiiigghhhttt," he said, totally unconvinced. "Suuuurrrrrre." Mace pretended not to hear those two.

"Oookaayyy," he said, ignoring the murderous looks the two gave him. "Anyways, does anyone object to my picking a team?" He looked around smugly; no one dared to speak up, as if knowing he'd join and best them on a mission (most likely a battle) sometime soon. "I think that Knight Offee and Zander should go." Adi groaned.

"They need more time to work together," she stated, ignoring his glare. "So sorry, but no." She leaned forward, and looked around. "How about we, instead, make it a sort of trial for the one whom it most closely hits home to?" She saw several heads nodding.

"If we give the person in question this trial, she…or he," she added, narrowing her eyes at Mace, "would be able to go up to Senior Padawan status. Coupled with the other trials of the war, assuming it continues like it has so far, this padawan could become a Knight by the time the war ends." Shaak Ti and a few others murmured their acceptance of this, while Mace looked totally unconvinced.

"So which padawan is this, Adi?" he asked, glowering at her. "Not that I don't have a clue, but I'd like to know who you're thinking about, just to be sure." She gave an un-lady-like snort.

"Fellow Council members," she announced, drawing everyone's attention. "I suggest that we send Master Luminara Unduli and her padawan, Ani Laminara." Gasps sounded from almost every chair in the room, minus the obviously empty ones.

"This is preposterous," Oppo Rancisis protested, raising one scaly hand. Adi sighed; he said that at almost every meeting they'd had for the past month or so, ever since the question of knighting Skywalker had come up. "The padawan is not yet ready. She is impulsive, quick to anger, and still has to –"

"I know what she still has yet to accomplish, Master Rancisis," Adi replied coolly. "However, I believe she is ready to again be part of this war effort. Her previous master did take her on several missions, after all, so she has some experience." Shaak Ti folded her hands, looking thoughtful.

"I agree with Adi." Several one-eyebrow-raised-typical-Jedi-Master stares were now being brought her way. "The way her former master trained her, she was ready to become Senior Padawan. Still can, in fact." She held up a finger. "However, I question not the padawan but the mission." She looked around.

"From what I know of her past, if we would choose to send her on this mission, it could be a catalyst for something else. Facing the past could be fatal for her, as she could collapse, die, or turn. Would it be a good idea, Master Gallia, for us to give those two this mission?" Master Yoda harrumphed.

"Go on it, in order to become stronger, she must," he spoke, garnering everyone's attention. "A special little one she is, to us all." His ears drooped a little. "If go on this mission, she does not, then ready for what is to come, she will not be." Mace still looked skeptical, while Adi nodded.

" Good," she stated, " then when do we call both of them up here?"

"Tomorrow," replied Shaak Ti, just as Kit Fisto said, "Today". They both glared at each other.

"Tomorrow because we won't be interrupting whatever they're doing," Shaak Ti ground out.

"Today because then they'll know what they need to prepare for," Kit shot back.

"I think today would be better," Adi agreed, ignoring her friend's sharp glare. "That way they can prepare."

"When do they have to leave for this anyway?" Agen Kolar asked.

"Tomorrow at 06h00," replied Mace Windu.

"Alright. Then I make a motion that we tell them today at 18h00."

"I second it," Adi called out.

"All in favor?" Mace asked. Ten raised their hands for. "All opposed?" Two were against it.

"Alright, we will reconvene in 04h00, two hours before the appointed meeting time with the Unduli/Laminara team. However, right now we will send a Master to notify them of the appointed time." Mace turned to the human female Councilor. "Master Gallia, will you please go do so?" She stood and bowed.

"Yes, Master Windu." She left, the doors whispering shut behind her, as the other Council members stood and stretched.

* * *

DRRRRRMMMMMMM. A green lightsaber swung down, only to be blocked by a deep blue one.

"I think you're beat, Padawan," Luminara pointed out, smiling. "It's all you can do to keep blocking my attacks." Her padawan, Ani Laminara, wiped the sweat off her face with a sleeve.

"Really?" She smiled. "I'd like to think that you're going to be beat, for the first time ever." Their blades met, and in a whirl of blue-green sparks they were battling each other again. Luminara was impressed with how far her padawan had come, not only with her battling skills but also with her confidence. _She doesn't give up, no matter how tough it might be for her. Just have to make sure that it doesn't go overboard into cockiness…_

Luminara swooped down with her blade after doing a triple flip, making sure to guard herself well. Her padawan merely smiled – and slid underneath her master, barely making it before the latter landed on the floor.

"SEE?" She ducked to avoid the swipe of her now-slightly annoyed master. "I do know some tricks you don't know!" Luminara allowed herself a tight smile.

"Yes, my padawan," she wove her lightsaber around her, concentrating on her padawan's movements, and on the Force. "However, I am the experienced one, and the master, so I will beat you."

After saying so, Luminara dove forward and grabbed Ani's leg. Startled, the latter was pulled to the floor. The master positioned herself, kneeling on her padawan's legs so that she could not get away, and held the lightsaber to her throat. "Yield."

A tense silence held them both as Ani stared up at her master, frozen. Finally, she smiled slightly.

"I do yield, my master," she said. Luminara deactivated her blade with a sigh, smiled, and got up. Her padawan held up her hand. "Could you please help me off the ground though?" Ani made a face. "These floors don't come with carpeting, you know."

"Why, are you sure, my padawan?" Luminara asked, a smile softening her face. "You're a lot cuter down there, and not as much trouble." Padawan Laminara acted indignant.

"Master," she began, not withdrawing her hand. "If you don't help me up, you're not going to get to eat tonight. Remember," she grinned evilly. "It's my turn!" Luminara sighed and pretended to be disgruntled.

"Alright," she said, helping her padawan up. "However, if the cooking is even slightly burnt, back on the floor you're going." She gave Ani a mock-glare. "And don't try to hide anything from me. After all, I'm your master," she tousled the girl's long hair, "and I know where you live." Ani snorted.

"Well, I should hope you'd know where I live, as I do share your quarters," she replied cheekily, avoiding the thrown cloak (compliments of her master) and ducking into the changing room. After she had entered, she poked her head back outside and grinned at her master. "And don't worry, Master Luminara. I will beat you one day, hopefully soon." Master Luminara gave her padawan the raised eyebrow look.

"And if _someone_ doesn't hurry up, she'll be doing the dishes for next week-and-a-half." Ani squeaked and ducked back in. Luminara smiled as she could hear the thoughts of her cheeky padawan streaming in from their bond.

/_**Oh, how my master just loves to torture me**_/ Ani was acting like a drama queen…again. /_**Poor, innocent little me, who never did anything wrong –**_/

/_**– who just happened to have incriminating evidence in her room the same day I got blasted with green goo after I got into the sonic shower and turned it on high**_/ The master reminded her padawan, trying not to grin. She leaned against the opposite wall, across from the dressing room, to wait for her padawan.

/_**Master!!!**_/ Ani was acting like a hurt puppy. _Good thing I can't see her face right now, or I'd be tempted to laugh even harder_, Luminara thought, not quite smothering the grin. /_**Me??!!! Your little angelic padawan? Never!**_/

/_**Padawan, how many times do I have to tell you?**_/ The grin was now thoroughly plastered across the elder's face, but she didn't notice. _She's definitely taking her time in there_, the Jedi Master thought. /_**You say you're angelic, you get to go through thirty minutes of meditation with me. Think about it, thirty minutes of pure torture with your dear master. Won't that be fun to do?**_/ A mental sigh came in from the other end of the bond.

/_**Master**_/ Ani _probably has her hands on her hips, is glaring at a wall and wishing it was me_, Luminara thought. /_**Remember your promise? You said you wouldn't torture me anymore, and what did you end up doing? Making me go through meditation at least twice a day, morning practice until lunch, four hours of classes, almost NO time to do homework –**_/

/_**You spend most of your time in the archives**_/ Luminara pointed out. /_**What do you do in there anyways, my padawan?**_/ Silence.

/_**I will not say**_/ She could sense now the attempted seriousness in her padawan's voice. /_**What my friends and I do in there is not going against the rules at all**_/

/_**Oh sure. As if printing a picture of Mace Windu and Adi Gallia making out was innocent**_/

/_**MASTER!!!! It WAS innocent**_/ Ani almost yelled. It grew quiet once more. /_**'Sides, it's not like it was real or anything. We were just playing around**_/

/_**Tell Master Windu that**_/ Luminara chuckled at the memory/_**It was nearly a month before the Temple younglings stopped calling him, 'Master Stud man.' He was so irritable, he nearly clubbed Kit to death when the Nautolan suggested that Adi and he should go on a date**_/

/_**I would've loved to have seen that**_/

/_**Yeah, I bet**_/ Luminara turned and noticed Jedi Master Adi Gallia had just motioned the doors open and come into the training room. _She must want to talk to my padawan and I about something_, Luminara guessed, straightening. /_**Padawan, Master Gallia is here**_/

/_**Yay**_/ Ani said sarcastically. /_**Has she come to give us that long lecture on "you-are-a-Jedi-and-you-must-learn-to-act-like-one." Oh wait, that was meant for me, wasn't it? Shoot!**_/

/_**Yes, my padawan. And I'm pretty sure that she noticed you weren't paying attention**_/ Luminara chuckled softly and gave her young one a Force-nudge. /_**However, I don't think she's here to lecture us again**_/

/_**Whew! Such a relief**_/ Luminara chuckled. Her padawan's sense of humor was definitely…unique. /_**Just don't let her hear that**_/

/_**Who, me? Master, you should know me better by now**_/ Adi looked puzzled. Shoot. /_**Padawan, you really should get out here before Master Gallia decides to investigate the smile on my face**_/

/_**Okay, okay. Cripes, what IS it with masters nowadays?**_/

/_**Padawan…**_/

/_**I'm coming, I'm coming…**_/ Ani strode out of the changing room. Rest, nourishment, and loving care had allowed the young one room to grow and blossom, even though it had only been several weeks. Blond hair pulled back to form a sleek ponytail, taller by a few inches, and cheeks not so hollow, Ani looked and was healthier than she had been in the past months. Seeing the Jedi Master, she bowed.

"Master Gallia." The Council member nodded, acknowledging the girl's presence.

"Padawan Ani." She looked to the master as the padawan strode to stand beside her master. "I have some important news for you both from the Council."

Luminara was not one to waste either words or time. "Let's hear it." Ani shifted, feeling a little anxious and…for some reason, frightened.

Adi nodded. "Very well." She looked at each of them, the padawan longer than the master, taking a deep breath. "There is a problem brewing on the planet Alderaan. A member of one of Alderaan's highest councils is believed to be a Separatist spy. You both are to fly there immediately and trace her movements."

"Excuse me, Master," Ani interrupted, face tight, "but did you say a _her_?" She nodded.

"Yes, padawan." Adi Gallia thought carefully before saying, "She is a high-ranking wife of a recently deceased noble who was active in politics. She is continuing that by taking over his position. She has a daughter, adopted from Corellia, whose name is Amanali." She looked at the padawan, and blinked in surprise as the girl suddenly broke out into a sweat. Her master seemed puzzled as well.

"Is something wrong, my padawan?" Luminara asked, placing a hand to the girl's shoulder. "You're sweating, and you feel warm."

"I'm fine." Ani swiped the hand away and wiped her forehead. The master placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, as if to give her some support. The padawan breathed in and out, trying to calm herself.

"What…what is the…widow's name?" Ani braced herself for the inevitable. Adi looked surprised, as did Luminara.

"Her name?" She looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Ah yes, her name." Luminara motioned for her to continue, curious as to why a name would have so much meaning for her padawan.

"The name of the widowed countess," Adi stated, "is Marana Kiln."

_I know who she is, and you don't... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Well, you'll find out, maybe... _

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_...just please review!!!!_


	15. Chapter 15 Decisions

_Sorry this took so long to update. There were unseen complications in my schoolwork and daily life. It's REALLY good to be back... finally..._

_Disclaimer: Star Wars is NOT mine. Not now. Not ever. Except for Ani Laminara. You know it, I know it... Anyone who sues me I'll sue you back with a stupidity lawsuit (:-D).

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"Padawan Laminara?"

"My dear, what is wrong?" Ani gulped. She seemed unable to speak as her face went pale. The padawan turned and bolted from the training room.

"Padawan, come back!" Luminara sighed. She turned to Master Gallia, who merely furrowed her brow and kept quiet.

"Adi Gallia," she said, looking the Councilor in the eye, tensing like a hound cornering her prey. "I don't know what Marana Kiln is like or what connection she has to my padawan, but I would like some answers."

"Sure," Adi said, trying to back away.

"NOW!"

"Okay, okay!" Adi sighed. "Sheesh, you masters are so…overprotective." Noticing Luminara's tiger eyes, she quickly amended, "Alright, I was one once; I admit it. May I continue?" The Jedi Master hesitated, nodded, and relaxed her stance. Relieved, Adi continued, motioning to a bench. "Maybe we should sit down." She held up a hand to stop Luminara's protests. "We'll find your padawan – later. For now, you need to hear what I have to say." She sat down. Luminara sighed softly as she copied the action, mind racing as her fellow Jedi Master continued.

"Marana Kiln is Padawan Laminara's mother. They make up one of the highest classes of nobles on Alderaan, which is also their homeworld. Her age is thirty-six; hair color: chestnut brown; eye color: hazelnut –"

"She's my padawan's _mother_?" Luminara was shocked. "Then how can Ani be Mirialan?"

"Technically, she's your padawan's _step_-mother," Adi stated. "Her true mother was one of our own, Jedi Knight Aenesca Laminara – a Mirialan. Besides being a prominent Jedi, she was also a friend of yours, I believe." Luminara nodded.

"She disappeared during an undercover investigation of several rumors of pirate activity in the Outer Rim," Gallia continued. "We hadn't heard from her for over three years, so we had assumed she was dead. After the Battle of Naboo, we were called to Alderaan by Torón. When we arrived, we immediately sensed a problem, and that's when we found her, after discovering her daughter." Luminara blinked; she had known that most of the Council had gone to Alderaan, but she hadn't known what the exact purpose had been. That her long-time friend was found there didn't surprise her.

"I knew that she had died there. After all, I had seen her –" she swallowed hard, "– body, right after I arrived. What I didn't realize, though, was that she was the mother of my padawan." She looked hard at her fellow Jedi Master. "Are you sure you didn't perhaps mistake my padawan's heritage for someone else?" Adi looked at her sadly.

"Luminara, we're positive. After we ran her through the multiple medical scans, we ran a midi-chlorian count on her – _and_ checked her DNA with Aenesca's. Not counting the almost-20,000 midi-chlorian count, there was no way she could be anyone else's daughter." Adi Gallia looked tentative. "I hope this won't change your view of your padawan or of your friend."

"Not at all," Luminara assured her. The Councilor looked relieved.

"Anyway, when we arrived, we felt something leading us to the courtyard. Torón Kiln – her husband, as we found out later – had seen the smoke rising from that location, and he feared for his wife and child. We, however, were told little more than where to land, and were not fully prepared for what awaited us. Once our group got there, we had barely enough time to see a dead body lying there surrounded by IG-88 droids in pieces before a young one forced us back with a lightsaber." Despite herself, Ani's master chuckled.

"I would've loved to have seen your faces," she told Adi. "I bet you guys were startled."

"We _were_ slightly worried," Adi admitted, a slight smile working its way through her stern face. "I mean, we had a green lightsaber in our faces, on full power no less, and we kind of expected at least a full-grown Jedi Knight or Master at the other end. Instead, we looked down, and saw a young girl with tattoos on her face and hands, brandishing the weapon as if she knew how to use it." Luminara couldn't help it; she grinned. Adi's face softened a touch.

"She had looked too young to hold a lightsaber like that, especially a full-powered one," she said softly. "I remember thinking, 'Oh Force, not _another_ crazy civilian! Not this time!' However, we could feel the Force flow in and around her. At times it seemed to darken, but that was her grief coupled with a touch of anger at her mother's death. For an almost-four-year-old, she was not that bad at suppressing her emotions."

"I could see that when I had met her," Luminara interjected, hoping to get on with the story. The Councilor nodded.

"After we had assured her that we were good guys – not that it was _easy_, mind you – we checked around to make sure the droids were destroyed completely, and that they had no reinforcements coming. Then we checked the young one. She seemed fine, physically, but mentally she was a wreck. The tears streaming down her face were a reinforcement of that fact." Adi paused, gathering her thoughts together carefully.

"She was cradling her mother's body as best she could at her small height. As she cried, however, she was singing some tune. I've only heard it once, when you volunteered in the crèche." Adi shrugged. "All I remember was that you were singing a similar song to several children so they'd drift off to sleep."

"Song?" Luminara searched her memory. "Ah yes, I remember. Is it this?" She hummed a couple bars; Adi nodded. "It's an ancient tune. I don't remember how old it is, except that every mother – or Master, as myself – knows it."

"Why?" Adi asked curiously. "What's it about?" Luminara shrugged.

"I don't remember all of it, except of course the refrain." A long-forgotten memory resurfaced at the back of her mind. "It's about a mother bonding with her children, where the mother promises to protect her daughter and the daughter promises to learn from her. Every girl between her ninth and tenth birthday on our homeworld learns it, in case she has children or ends up teaching some."

"How did you learn it?"

"I was taken as a young child for Jedi training, but since my master wasn't Mirialan, we had to make a visit once or twice a year for me to catch up on my culture. That's probably how Aena – Aenesca learned it." She smiled. "As you know, we don't have many Mirialan masters here." Luminara shrugged.

"I still do not understand why, besides the fact that many of our kind are strongly connected to each other, enough to the extent where they refuse to even leave their homes. But – Alright, enough of my rambling. Please continue."

"Well, the rest you should know," Adi Gallia stated. "We took the girl in; her father entrusted her to us before he remarried; her stepmother tried to take her back; the little one disappeared; and you, Barriss, and Windu rescued her from a suicidal fall, caused by a hired assassin."

"Yes, now I do remember. After the rescue we were charged with kidnapping and harmful intentions, and we barely got back to the Temple in one piece." Luminara narrowed her eyes. "So, Marana Kiln… Ani Laminara's stepmother. The one who tried to mind-wipe my padawan." Master Gallia nodded in confirmation. "What does she want this time?"

"She has called for a Jedi team to assist her with an emergency on the planet surface," Adi responded. "Bail Organa has a suspicion that it's merely a ploy to divert our attention from her true activities."

"Which he believes to be dealing heavily with the Separatists."

"Exactly."

"Great. Just… excellent." Luminara sighed. "So why are my padawan and I called to take this mission on? Ani should not be anywhere near her stepmother. What if the "emergency" just happens to be an excuse to kidnap my padawan? What is the council _thinking_?"

"Master Yoda believes that it would be good for your padawan to go back to the planet where most of her painful memories reside. He says that it will be one of the most important trials she will ever face."

"Because she'll be forced to deal with the past, which is full of pain and lingering sadness."

"Exactly." Luminara gritted her teeth. She really, really hated dealing with past issues, especially when they happened to be emotional and painful.

"When is our meeting with the Council?"

"At 18h00."

"Okay. We'll be there. The _both_ of us." _I may not _like _the fact that the journey will complicate matters between my padawan and I_, Luminara thought, _but if it is the wishes of Master Yoda, then we will go. We must, unless we rather get kicked out of the Order._

"Good. I'll go inform the Council." Pausing outside the door, Adi turned to look back at her friend. "May the Force be with you, Luminara Unduli. And with your padawan especially."

"May the Force be with you as well, Adi Gallia" Luminara replied, mind still racing. She needed to find her padawan, immediately. The couple hours standing between them and their meeting with the Council would pass fast.

The Jedi Master couldn't remember in which direction her padawan had gone. She also couldn't sense her Force signature. She didn't need to.

Luminara Unduli had a pretty good idea where Ani Laminara had escaped.

_Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, GO!_ Ani's mind screamed at her as she raced down the corridors of the Temple, heeding not the glares or shouts of Knights and Masters alike trying to get her to slow down. As she ran, she was dimly aware of the beings she passed – was that Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano? – and the possibly important persons who she accidentally sideswiped – yes, that was probably Masters Windu and Tiin.

_Man, I would really hate for this to be put on my record_, Ani thought, barely avoiding trampling a long line of younglings. The Master – probably J'nuush Klutarii – yelled something at her that quickly joined the sound of air streaming past her ears. _As long as I'm not forbidden to run in the Temple anymore, I'll accept _anything_ on my record. But, oh Force, not being allowed to run would stink! That would be the ninth of the Corellian hells._

Using the Force, she drew her shields tighter around her, controlling her thoughts and her facial muscles. _Let them think I'm having another round of Force-tag with my friends_, she thought. _If they even get a _hint_ of what I'm thinking, I'll never get out of this hallway alive. I'll probably be sent to the Healer's Wing. _Last_ place I want to go. It's not like I even have a problem._

_Then why are you running?_ asked a voice in her head. Ani stifled a sigh. _Why do these voices sound like Master Yoda, Master Windu, or Master Unduli?_ she thought. _Don't I deserve a _break_?_

_It's nothing_, she retorted. _Absolutely nothing. You're just trying to convince me to see the mind healers, like almost everyone else in this kriffing temple._

_I am not, you liar,_ the other half exclaimed right back.

_Just SHUT UP, okay? We're almost to the spot. You can bother me however long you want, just please wait until we get there._

_Fine. I'll be right in my corner over here, waiting ever so politely until we get through so I can bother you to no end._

_You are annoying._

_Why thank you. That is my programming, after all._

_Stop sounding like C-3PO._

_Why? Is this too much fun for you to handle?_

_Just wait. I'll show you 'too much fun'…_

_Here we are! The Room of a Thousand Fountains! _Ani skidded to a stop, turned around and ducked into the doorway, barely avoiding running into several of her old teachers. She quickly checked herself into a fast walk, as several odd looks had been passed her way, and she _did_ want to appear as normal as possible. The less suspicious people saw her, the better.

Slowing down into a stroll, the padawan nodded to some more of her old teachers, past acquaintances, and other random beings she knew. Pausing outside the wall of roses and ivy, she took a quick glance around, and – seeing that no one else was looking – ducked into the hidden room.

_I feel like I'm the smuggler who has contraband she has to stow quick before someone finds out._ Ani almost laughed out loud at that, but quickly sobered up. Peeking outside, she checked once more for any unwanted guests before ducking deeper into the dark room.

Moving to the center, she kneeled softly, then sat cross-legged, breathing the scent of the roses. They were the most common flower in this room, even though they were rare in the other gardens, not to mention on Coruscant itself. It wasn't as rare as other flowers, but it was rare enough that few families on Alderaan (including hers) could afford them.

_Mother used to beg my father for them whenever they'd appear,_ Ani thought. _Well, growing up on a desert planet and then on a city planet probably made her more appreciative of living things. She always _did_ say I was spoiled because I was born on one of the lushest planets around._ She looked towards the ceiling, feeling a sudden sadness worm its way inside her. _Why do I have to go back? Even though Alderaan's my homeworld, there is still sadness and hurt there. I can't go back. I can't. The memories are resurfacing, and it's all I can do to keep them at bay._

Releasing a sigh, she reached out to touch a rose winding its way around the seven columns surrounding her. It was the largest – and her favorite. Ever since she had discovered the room and found a wilted, almost completely crushed young flower at the center of the circle, she had come back – albeit unwillingly at first – to give it life.

As the days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, she soon realized that she was not only giving the rose a new life, but herself as well. That thought had started up and kept a small spark of hope glowing inside her, even when she was apprenticed to Master Pollo. Tending that little plant made her realize that she wasn't just living for the plant to survive.

The plant was there to keep her alive.

"In everything we do, a double purpose, there is." A familiar cackle startled Ani out of her reverie. She jumped up and spun around to see the familiar darkness, streaked by the filtered sunlight.

"Who's there?" The padawan's voice caught slightly at the end, which she quickly replaced with a more confident sound. This was her hideout, after all. Last thing she wanted to sound was unsure, or even – Force forbid – _scared_.

"Afraid of me, you should not be, unless Anakin Skywalker, you are."

"Come on out. NOW."

"Know me, do you not?" A minute troll stepped out of the dark, his skin looking several shades of green darker. His cane tapped out a gentle beat, a soft vibration that acted as a massage to her leather-clad feet. The girl's muscles slowly unwound, her shoulders relaxing to their normal positions.

"Master Yoda." Ani inclined her head, gaining control of her voice. Anger and hurt warred with her brain as she fought to stay impassive. "With all due respect, how do you know about this place?" _Why would you bother coming here when all you have to do is summon me to your quarters_ is what she really wanted to say. The aged Jedi Master harrumphed.

"When old as I you get, know many secrets about the Temple, you do." His hazel eyes searched out her aquamarine ones. "Secrets about the beings too, you discover. Murky and troubled pasts, those who discover the Temple's secrets have. Darkness too. Oh yes, _much_ darkness."

Master Yoda hobbled into the center. The light from the sunlamps outside receded slightly, signifying the maturing afternoon. The roses in the room seemed to acknowledge it; they grew closer to the columns and the walls in a lovely mesh of flowers, leaves, and stray petals. Ani waited until he passed to follow him, via the rule of the padawans.

"Heard, you did, of the mission?" Her eyes flickered slightly; she should've known that the nosy troll would figure it out.

"Possibly." Her reply sounded tight, forced. Yoda's ears drooped for a fraction of a second. This girl locked up her emotions tight – no cracks there. At least, none were visible.  
"Know then, you do, that vital, this mission is." Ani whirled around, hurt and anger evident in her eyes.

"What I _do_ know is that this mission is the most fierfieking piece of kark that a Sithspawned troll like you could come up with!" Her eyes glowed intensely. "You are insanely arrogant, Master Yoda, to think that I could possibly get past what I did all those years ago. To _think_ that the Force would release me from the wrongs I committed. To even _believe_ that I could be forgiven for the horrible crimes of my past. What do you want from me _this_ time?" A bitter laugh escaped from her lips. "Or have you finally decided I am no longer useful to the Jedi Order?"

"What happened in the past, your fault it was not." Yoda placed a clawed hand upon her arm. "Stop blaming yourself, you should. Go on this mission, you _must_."

"To do what? Torment myself with memories? Tempt my stepmother to try to sell me to the Separatists like she did over a decade ago?" Yellow flecks seemed to dominate her sea-colored eyes as she continued her rant. "How can I go back when my past continues to haunt me? I just managed to lock it up in a nice, dark corner of my brain, and now it won't stop bothering the kark out of me! The worst part is, this 'mission' seems like a trap just to get me mind-wiped and sent to Dooku and his minions in a hand basket. I shouldn't go, Master. It's bound to be more trouble than it's worth."

"If disturbs you, this does, then a good thing it has become." At her sharp look, the diminutive Jedi General continued. "A worthy mission only becomes truly worthy when teaches you a lesson, it does. When uncomfortable, the mission makes you, then an even better learning experience it becomes." He paused, gazing into her eyes, now clearing slowly of the yellow spots.

"I – I don't understand." Master Yoda harrumphed.

"Fogged, your mind has become, young one. A clear mind, necessary it is, in order to see the whole picture. Things that make us uncomfortable force us to confront our darker selves." His ears drooped. "If confront the pain and anger that are part of us, we do not, then grow we do not, and more likely to fall to the dark side, we are." He allowed silence to do its work, giving the young padawan time to ponder what he had said. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

"Meditated, have you, young one?" A blush quickly spread across her cheeks, contrasting beautifully with the dark tattoos.

"Not for the past several weeks, Master," she replied softly.

"More able to see past your emotions you would be, if meditate often you did. Clouded your judgment has become." The gimer stick tapped a gentle rhythm on her leg. "Able to see what good out of your shadowed past can come, you would be. Meditate, you must. Meditate, you _will_." The tapping became a thwacking, snapping Ani out of the muddled processes of her mind to reality. She knelt before the troll.

"I will think upon what you have said, Master Yoda," she replied, her face neutral.

"Come to a decision by 18h00, you shall?" he asked, hope glimmering upon his wizened face.

"I didn't think I had that much choice in the matter," she replied wryly. "However, meditating should clear out my head enough by then to give a somewhat coherent answer." The ancient being rose slowly, using his gimer stick to keep him steady.

"Very well, then." His eyes twinkled. "Hurry you should, for an adequate meditation session you need, and not much time before the Council meeting, there is." The young one bowed once more before padding silently to, then through the entrance, and was gone.

Alone once more, Yoda allowed himself to curl upon the ground, giving an appearance of being old and extremely frail.

"The right decision, she will make." His gravelly voice exuded quiet, grave confidence. "But uneasy about the mission, I feel. If fail, she does, then occur, worse events will." The beams of light in the room seemed to fade in agreement, as did the encroaching darkness.

As did her rose.

_Tied to her very existence, the flower is,_ Master Yoda thought, reaching out to touch one of the petals. _The decisions she makes, affect not only the flower, but the Jedi as well, they will. Time, both have not. Clouded for them, the future is._ He crossed his legs and began meditating, releasing his worry and concern into the Force.

_If overcome these obstacles, Ani Laminara does not, grave consequences will occur. Consequences that, impact the future of the Jedi, they will. Affect the outcome of the future, they will. Affect the direction of the Chosen One, they will. Affect her very mind, they will._

_Succeed, she must, or fall, we all will._

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_Maybe I should attempt to be more cheerful with these... _

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_Ah, no I won't. It's life, after all. It's just a whole lot worse in there than it is out here._

_Well, please read and review. PLEASE. I know I took forever updating, but I DID update. :-D _

_So... please?_

_~ Jedi Ani Unduli_

_P.S. Hope it was long enough for you guys._


	16. Chapter 16 Acknowledging

_Here is the sixteenth chapter! Sorry it's late - college is killing me. Not literally. Don't forget to review at the end!_

_Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine... need anymore proof?_

_Sneaking around the Temple is so much fun_, Ani thought. _If I do it right, I won't meet anyone. Of course, with the way my luck's going, I'll get found out by Windu himself._

The Force gathered around the padawan as she checked the adjacent room. If it wasn't for the hidden door she had found over a year ago, not to mention the ancient hallways and rooms she had found through said door, she wouldn't be waiting for the younglings to finish their lightsaber lesson with Jedi Master Cin Drallig. She looked at the wall chrono. 16h30.

_They should be done by now, _Ani thought, slightly panicked. _Why would Master Drallig keep them in there for this long?_

"Now remember the forms for next week's test," she heard him say. "There will be masters watching, so do your best. There's a good chance you will be selected as padawans as long as you _focus_. Feel the Force flow through you. Channel it into your lightsaber forms and – possibly – dueling matches." A smile slid its way across her face as she heard the younglings begin chattering with excitement. Silence quickly cut into their talking, courtesy of Drallig's raised hand. "Practice hard. Perform well." She sensed his nod. "Dismissed." The younglings filed out, talking subdued but not erased.

"Great. The picking of Padawans has come."

"Good to see you too, Ani Laminara. Giving Master Unduli trouble again, are you?"

"What else would I be doing?" He shot her a look.

"Well, for instance, you could be helping me teach my lightsaber form classes instead of sneaking around the Temple with a nearly impenetrable Force shield – which, by the way, I'm wondering how you do it." Ani grinned.

"A mixture of concentration and strong paranoia. Besides, I'm no good with younglings," she stated. "They have no sense of personal bubble space. They get on my nerves and make my skin crawl. They chatter incessantly, spill things constantly, and did I mention they have no _concept_ of personal bubble space?"

"I wonder why you'd be annoyed by these attributes," Drallig smirked. "After all, I remember a certain youngling who did all of the above and more." The padawan flushed.

"So I happened to be unconventional." The Jedi Master snorted.

"Any more 'unconventional' and you would have tied with Knight Skywalker." He shook his head. "I swear you two should have never crossed paths. Are you both attracted to people whose life goal is to break all the rules into as many pieces as they can?" Ani shrugged.

"Can I help it if Anakin and I happened to do more mischief right here than anywhere else?" she retorted. Drallig kept shaking his head.

"How about you both go on the battlefields? Wreak havoc everywhere else with your troops instead of the Temple?" he suggested. Ani shook her head.

"We tried. We got done fighting the droids in less than 8 hours, captured the Separatist leader, and were bored out of our skulls waiting for our ride to come!"

"Couldn't you contact your pilot?"

"The communications teams were_ still_ trying to scavenge what they could out of the molten mess when we finally got picked up."

"I see." The ticking of the chrono captured Master Drallig's attention. "I better go prepare for my next class." He looked at the padawan.

"Behave now, would you?" Her brow furrowed.

"Since when do I not try?" she questioned, raising her arms in an I-don't-know-how-you-could-accuse-ME-of-doing-such-a-thing gesture. He just sighed.

"At least consider helping me teach," Drallig urged. "I think you underestimate your lesser known qualities. You are gifted, young Laminara."

"Not like Skywalker," she quickly pointed out.

"No. Not like Skywalker." He looked her straight in the eye. "But you're pretty damn close." The Jedi started towards the door, calling a data-sheet to his hand. "Think about it." After he had walked through the doorway, the girl crept to the doorway and stuck her head out.

Drallig had disappeared.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ani ran her fingers around her padawan braid. She turned around and, with her six senses at the ready, quickened her pace towards an unused corner of the training salle.

Running her fingers over the cracks on the wall and tracing them back to the corner took her back to the memory of first discovering the place. Being a curious youngling in her third year at the Temple, watching the kids do the same form over and over again when she had already mastered it boring her out of her mind, she did what any normal, Force-sensitive being would do.

Ani explored.

She had sauntered around, pretending to be doing what everyone else was doing while sneaking peeks at the walls and corners at the back of the room. Everything was odd. The walls seemed too thick, as did the ceiling. The lines were crooked and the corners didn't seem to meet up. The back right corner of the room was the sloppiest part of a building she had seen, and she had seen sloppy. Nothing matched at all. Of course, she reflected that if it didn't fit over there, it would mess everything up.

Why didn't the builders make everything just right?

Ani had trouble taking her mind off something when she was deep in thought over it – especially back at that age. Peeking over her shoulder, she had seen Master Drallig focused on his class. He probably wouldn't even miss her.

She slid towards the corner, running her fingers along the cracks. The girl traced them back to the corner, silent and efficient. As soon as all seven cracks were traced back to their origin, they glowed. A portion of the wall disappeared with a slight squeak.

Ani had opened up a long-forgotten passageway.

Looking back, she checked the status of her teacher and peers. No one had heard, so she went in. Suffice it to say, she got into a lot of trouble for skipping class that day.

_That was then, though. Now if I get into trouble I at least make the effort. _Tracing the cracks made the insignia glow, causing the wall to squeak back, slightly louder than usual. _A reminder to oil the door_, Ani winced. _Eventually._

She leaped inside and slid the door shut.

Luminara glanced at the clock. 17h45. Fifteen minutes to their meeting with the council, and her padawan was nowhere in sight.

Kark.

The Jedi Master leaned against the wall and sighed. She bet her padawan would be late – again. _I have allowed her to be late far too often_, she thought, pinching the bridge of her nose. _Perhaps I should institute some form of punishment. An hour of meditation for this time on the importance of being on time, and add an extra hour each time afterwards. Or maybe a paper would do it. Force her to instruct the younglings?_ She allowed a full smirk since no one was in view._ Better than my last idea. I should never have thought to punish her with leading a clone battalion inside the enemy's city to capture the Separatist leader. That hadn't been a punishment. That had been _fun_. Not to mention that, ever since I gave my padawan a whole special squad of hers to command, it has led to … _other_ issues. _

"Stop moaning already." Luminara looked up to see Ani dangling inches from her face. "You thought I could use the responsibility. You should blame yourself."

"At least you're on time," she replied wryly, poking her padawan's nose. "It's now 17h50. Where have you been?"

"Long story. Tell you later."

"At least make proper sentences please." The girl scrunched up her face.

"Since when?" As her master moved forward, she swung up and hopped down. They stood together, side by side, in front of the doors that would open to reveal the Council awaiting them.

"Ready, Padawan?" The girl took a deep breath and nodded.

"Ready, Master." The chrono hit 18h00. Dull gray doors slid open.

The two glided inside.

Master Windu watched the two as they made their way across the floor to stand in the inner circle. The young padawan had grown; her head was just past her master's shoulder. She wore an air of calm assurance, dangerously close to arrogance, but underneath he sensed nervousness, a touch of anger, and fear.

_The time for answers is at hand._

"Master Unduli, Padawan Laminara," he began, "You have been made aware of the mission on Alderaan?"

"Yes, Master Windu," Luminara replied, dipping her head in acknowledgement, her padawan following in perfect sync.

"And you understand what the purpose of the mission is?" His eyes met the girl's. She swallowed hard.

"We understand," Luminara spoke again. Her padawan nodded as she spoke.

What about you, Padawan?" Master Yoda asked. "Do you understand?"

"I… I understand, Master."

"Know why we chose you specifically, do you?"

"Logically I do. Emotionally I do not." The corners of her mouth turned slightly up. "I trust your judgment." Master Yoda harrumphed.

"Clear in time, things will become." He pointed a claw towards her. "Do not be afraid of opening up to your Master. Closer to her, you need to become, if to survive this, you are. Experience hurt you will, but worth it a strong bond is."

"I will remember that, Master Yoda," she said, bowing her head. Master Windu cleared his throat.

"For the sake of the rules of this Council, I will go over the details. Your shuttle will leave at 06h00 tomorrow morning. A small squad of clones will go with you. Master Luminara will have the choice to pick them herself or have assigned to her a fresh unit."

"I will take some of the men from my unit," Luminara interjected. Windu nodded and continued.

"Once you arrive on Alderaan, you will meet with Madam Kiln. Discover the truth behind her request, and decide whether or not she is truly a Separatist spy. Report back your findings and we will then decide how to proceed." He paused, wanting to add something and yet unable to find the words. "May the Force be with you both."

"And with you," the females chorused, bowing from the waist. The door swished open, then closed.

"Well, that's done." Shaak Ti remarked. "Since we're done for the day, the masters accompanying the two should get ready as well."

"I can't go," Adi said shortly. "There's concern that something will happen soon, something big, and I'll be needed."

"I'll go in your place," Shaak told her. Adi gave her a grateful look.

"I'll accompany Master Ti," Agen Kolar stated. "That way, the rest of you will be free for this future event."

"Sounds good," Mace concluded. "Be ready to leave at 06h00 tomorrow. Ideally this should not take longer than two weeks. Be mindful that we may pull either or both of you out if the something larger happens sooner."

"Of course, Master Windu," both chorused, inclining their heads. Mace nodded back, looking around to meet all the Council masters' gazes.

"The Council is adjourned for today. We meet back tomorrow at the usual time." One by one, the Council members got up and left. Masters Windu and Yoda remained behind to discuss the details.

"Well, this should be easy," Agen remarked as he walked next to Shaak. "Our purpose in coming is to stand there and let the master-padawan team do all the work." The Togruta nodded.

"It seems that way, yes." Her brow crinkled in thought. "My senses tell me otherwise. We must be extremely careful, take every precaution. What Marana Kiln had tried to pull off over a decade ago, she might try again."

The rest of their walk was spent in silent pondering.


	17. Chapter 17 Discussions

_I'm sorry how long this took. I had no idea how to structure this chapter at first, and most attempts I made ended up reading like my earlier stuff. In other words, BAD. But I finally worked it out. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... Chapter 17!_

_Disclaimer: Not my sandbox. Just passing through..._

"We've just entered hyperspace, General," the clone commander said. The two Jedi had just entered the bridge after taking a tour around the ship _Evanescence_. She was small, smaller than most of the cruisers. Her size made her ideal for more negotiation-style missions than battle conquests. As this mission first depended more on secrecy than outright strength, the ship was ideal.

"Very good." Luminara replied. "How long until we reach Alderaan?"

"Estimated time of arrival is thirteen-hundred-hours, sir."

"Excellent." She turned to her padawan who was waiting beside her. "We should go rest up before the mission."

"Good idea, Master," the girl responded. "Commander Skee, let us know when we in orbit."

"Yes, sir." The two Jedi nodded and turned to walk out of the cockpit. As soon as the door shut behind them, Ani breathed a sigh of relief.

"I can't wait until this is done," she muttered, slumping against the wall. Luminara smiled at the tired girl.

"I understand," she said. "Which is why I recommended rest back there." Ani raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, Master," she said. "You know as well as I do that going over the mission notes comes first. Rest, if at all possible, comes last. Besides, I got plenty of sleep last night," she said. Her mouth suddenly emitted a yawn, prompting her to put her hand over it. Luminara shook her head.

"Rest is necessary to keep a clear mind and all your senses alert," she said. Her eyes gleamed with amusement. "Remember, I said we were going to rest in _front_ of the pilots." Ani straightened.

"You didn't. Wait – you _did_." She blew out a frustrated breath. "Now I can't go anywhere without nosy clones following me around and reminding me that I need to rest." She threw a glare at the older woman. "This is so not funny."

"Sleep on it." Luminara gave a small smirk. "Maybe then you'll find your sense of humor." Ani groaned.

"You're not going to rethink this?" she asked hopefully. When her master gave her a look, she sighed.

"Okay, I'm taking a nap." Luminara shook her head.

"No, you're not. You're standing here telling me you're going to take a nap." Deciding this was a losing argument, Ani spun around and headed down the hallway. About halfway she turned around and, while walking backwards, yelled to her master:

"Now I'm walking towards my room while telling you I'm going to take a nap!"

"Just get in there already," Luminara replied. When her padawan disappeared into her quarters, she gave a small sigh of relief and went into her cabin. Her padawan was getting saucier and more stubborn as they got closer to Alderaan. Underneath that sarcasm lay a deep river of worry. Luminara could sense it, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel the same thing.

_The request for help could be a trap_, she thought. _Marana Kiln would get a lovely price from the Separatists if she kidnapped either one of us. Of course, there's only one she really wants, and that's my padawan! _She fought back a wave of fear. _Besides my padawan and I, in three standard days there will be two Jedi Masters in orbit around the planet to ensure no incoming Separatist help. Add in the battalion of clones commanded by Gree, and the odds of something happening are slim. What could possibly happen? _She mulled it over in her mind as she lay down and prepared for sleep. Fears flitted around in the back of her mind like a pack of malia*, circling and snapping in anticipation.

Sleep came much too slowly for her liking.

Ani lay on her sleep couch, fear gnawing at her mind. She had given all hope of getting any sleep with the way she felt. They were going back to see her stepmother, possibly give her protection, and for all they knew they could be walking into a trap.

"I should have never said I'd go… I should have refused," she murmured to herself, giving a voice to a few of her doubts floating around in her head. "I should have kept quiet and ignored it all. But what if this will help me grow? I'm scared, okay? I don't like not knowing what will happen. At least if this was a battle the outcome could still be twisted to my favor, but we're coming in on Marana Kiln's territory on _her_ terms." She shivered. "That's never been a good thing."

_Worst is, _her mind whispered, _she's rumored to have dealings with the Separatists. Even if the evidence comes back in her favor, you know she will want you to remain with her on the planet._

_I am not even her biological daughter_, she rebutted.

_No, but you are a Force user, which is useful in tight situations._

Always_ what is useful for her, _Ani shot back with a twinge of anger.

_That is how your stepmother thinks_, her mind responded. _Question is how will you respond to that? _Ani sat, stumped. She had no answer.

_How _am_ I supposed to respond to that?_ she thought. An immediate answer came to mind.

"Stupid questions," she muttered, turning on her side and closing her eyes. "Hopefully my master is doing better." Since all her worries had been temporarily whisked away by that one question, sleep came naturally.

Captain Skee stood outside the padawan's door with some misgivings. Usually when asked to deliver the news, he would do so via comlink. He had felt strangely compelled to deliver the news instead.

_And see what I get? Padawan wake-up duty. _He had gone to wake up Master Unduli first. She had seemed troubled by something, perhaps a nightmare (not that he cared to speculate), but she had given him that don't-you-dare-say-anything look. Acquiescing, he asked if he should wake up the padawan. She had hesitated before verbally agreeing. Now he stood before the youngling's door, hearing muffled talk drift out.

"Commander Laminara?" He called. No answer. "Commander Laminara?" He tried pounding on her door. The fact that it hadn't swished away meant she was keeping it shut, either by switching the settings or using the manual lock. He fervently hoped it was the former.

Pressing the button on the left side of the door, he breathed a sigh of relief as it swished open. He stepped inside the darkened room, eyes locking onto the bunk where a small form was murmuring and moving restlessly. She was probably still asleep, which explained why she hadn't opened the door.

"Commander Laminara?" he asked again, cautiously making his way towards her. As he came closer, he could make out snatches of words: "Master" and "no" were mentioned, as well as "Kiln", but what did she mean by "mom"? _I thought all Jedi never knew their birth parents._

"Commander Laminara!" he said, louder this time. No reaction. He would shout, but that would attract attention. Given her status, that was probably not the wisest course of action. He went for the next wisest, placing a hand on her arm. Probably stretching regulations, but it worked well and it wasn't improper.

"Commander Laminara." As soon as he placed a hand on her arm, she whipped over and opened her eyes. Twisting her clasped arm's hand to grasp his forearm as well as bringing her other arm to grasp the upper arm, she leapt out of the bunk and proceeded to tackle and pin him face-down to the ground, using the arm as leverage and a well-placed knee in the back as the weight. "Commander Laminara!"

"How many times do I have to tell you to leave me alone, _Marana_?" she hissed.

_Who the _kriff _is Marana?_

"Commander," he gasped out, "it's me! Commander Skee." He felt the pressure on his lower back ease up slightly.  
"Skee?" Both arms were released and he sat back, rubbing his aching joints and back. Damn, that kid had chops. She now stood in front of him, bouncing back and forth on her feet. She looked nervous.

"Are you hurt?" she held out her hand to him. Experience and a number of aching parts told him he should take it.

"I'm okay," he said, using her help and his legs to get him back to standing position. "I'm sorry if I startled you."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have attacked you like I did."

"You were dreaming. It's understandable." Her expression became dark.

"No, it's not. I should have been more aware of my surroundings." She sighed. "Master Unduli will definitely get me on that later." He gave her a puzzled look.

"How do you know whether or not she'll find out?" A smile flitted across her face.

"She's a Jedi Master, and more importantly, my teacher." He lifted an eyebrow; she continued, "We have a bond through the Force that lets us know what's happening with one another."

"Oh." He could somewhat comprehend her meaning, given that he and his brothers had an uncanny ability to "read" one another's thoughts. It must have been an unanticipated side effect of the cloning process. Some batches were closer than others, allowing for more "reading" to be effective. That was mostly based guesswork, trial-and-error, and practice. The Jedi were able to form a real mind link, given their powers.

"May I ask why you woke me up? Usually my Master does."

"I was to tell you we are in orbit around Alderaan and will be landing shortly. General Unduli asked me to wake you," he explained.

"Did she say why?"

"No, but she looked apprehensive for some reason." He looked closely at her. "You feel some apprehension as well." Her cheeks darkened.

"Yes, well some of that came from almost killing you," she responded sheepishly. "I really am sorry for that."

"Don't worry about it, Commander." He watched as one of her hands snaked back behind her head to massage her neck. Her eyes looked weary, even as the rest of her body appeared rested. "With all due respect, Commander, you need more rest."

"As we are in orbit above the planet, Skee, there is no more time to rest," she responded. "Thank you for your concern, though."

"No problem." He nodded. "Can I ask you a question, sir?"

"As long as you don't call me 'sir,' Skee" she responded, grinning at him. "It's 'Ani,' not 'Commander,' not 'ma'am,' and definitely not 'sir.'"

"Yes, Comma – Ani," he corrected himself. "When you had me pinned down, you called me 'Marana.' Who is this person?" The girl sighed while running a hand through her short blond locks. He couldn't understand why she had gotten her hair cut before going on the mission. Hair was hair, and the shorter length seemed less useful than the longer length. Long hair you could tie back; short hair kept whipping you in your face, even if you had a headband.

"I wanted to cut down on shower time," Ani stated. Seeing the incredulous look on his face, she continued, "I noticed where your attention was focused. Short hair can be a nuisance, but I prefer this style for missions as it's low maintenance."

"So is shaving your head," Skee pointed out, moving towards the door. Ani laughed.

"I prefer having _some _hair to distinguish my gender," she responded.

"Oh."

"And in answer to your earlier question, which I am _not _avoiding, Marana is my stepmother. Her full name is Marana Kiln, widow of Toron Kiln."

"The one we're supposed to protect?" He stood aside, waiting for her to go through the door.

"That's the one." She sighed again. "I was taken by the Jedi when I was almost four. My biological mother was dead at that point, and my stepmom married my father before I left."

"Why are you concerned, then?"

"She… has a tendency of being vindictive and getting what she wants, even if rules are broken and people get hurt," the padawan responded grimly.

"You know this from experience?"

"You… you could say that." Once they got out into the hallway, she turned to face him. "Look, our job is to offer her protection while she gives us this information. I don't want to bias your view of her. All I ask is that you do your job."

"With respect, Ani, I always do my job."

"I know that, Skee, but…" She hesitated. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell the others what I told you, and for you to act like it's just another mission. I don't want my personal views of her to affect your performance."

"Understood, Commander." They started walking towards the bridge.

"Thank you." He did understand what she unofficially ordered him to do (at least, what he understood to be an unofficial order), and he would follow through. That didn't cover him keeping his eyes and ears open, however. He would watch for possible confirmation or denial of her concerns, and if she was correct (which he didn't doubt because she _was _a Jedi, after all) then he would not let his guard down around her. There was a lot of things left unsaid in their conversation, and that usually meant she was worried about more than just the woman's character.

The sooner the job was done, the sooner they could go back to the front. At least you _knew _who the enemy was.

*Malia are ferocious beasts, with red-green eyes, blue-gray fur, and a long, tapered snout with a lean and rangy body. They are territorial, have astounding reflexes, and live on the planet of Ragoon VI, a training planet for Jedi.


End file.
